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Resident urges council to use stormwater fees to fix recurring drainage problems
Summary
During public comment, resident Harry Hillstrom urged the council to repair a chronic stormwater drainage problem in his neighborhood and questioned why stormwater fees collected since 2005 have not paid for the work.
A Centralia resident urged the City Council Feb. 25 to prioritize repairs to a long‑standing stormwater drainage problem and to explain how stormwater fees have been used.
Harry Hillstrom, who identified himself as a Centralia resident, described recurring flooding at an intersection near his home and said roots and failing pipes are part of the cause. He said the city has collected a stormwater fee since 2005 and cited his own calculation that the city now collects roughly $77,000 a month (about $930,000 annually) from the fee. "In 02/2005, we started paying a storm storm water sewer, storm sewer fee or tax... And so I looked or I added it up, and every month, we're collecting $77,000 in tax money for the storm sewers," Hillstrom said.
Hillstrom asked the council to investigate why the problem has not been fixed despite the fee revenue. He suggested the pipe system in his area needs full replacement, sleeves or tree removal and asked the council to make the problem a priority. The council did not take action at the meeting but the comment was recorded for follow up by city staff.
