Santa Rosa BPU recommends Aug. 19 City Council hearing to place stormwater charges on county tax roll

The Board of Public Utilities voted unanimously to recommend that City Council hold a public hearing on Aug. 19 to adopt the stormwater enterprise charge report and approve placing the charges on the Sonoma County property tax roll for collection.

Nick Lynn, research and program coordinator, and Claire Myers, Stormwater and Creeks Manager, briefed the board on the calculation and collection of charges. Staff said the stormwater enterprise was established by City Council in 1996 (Title 16 of the City Code) to comply with federal Clean Water Act obligations and to fund stormwater permit implementation, creek restoration, public education, storm drain maintenance and water-quality testing. Staff said the enterprise does not fund major storm-drain infrastructure upgrades.

Charges are calculated using an equivalent residential unit (ERU) methodology from resolution 22,880 and adjusted annually by the Consumer Price Index. Staff said the ERU cost for this year is $42.46, a 2.7% increase from last year, and that the stormwater enterprise charge appears on property tax bills and is collected by Sonoma County unless a parcel’s charge is below the county minimum of $10 or parcel contact information is incorrect.

Staff noted the City Council public hearing gives parcel owners an opportunity to protest placement on the tax roll; if a majority of parcel owners in the report protest, the report will not be adopted and charges would be collected separately. The public hearing was announced in the Press Democrat on Aug. 4 and is to be republished Aug. 11; a hard copy of the report is available at the City Manager’s Office and online.

Board members asked about outreach and long-term funding for the storm-drain system. Board Member Bartholow asked about public education reaching property owners who see multiple line items on their tax bill; staff said the city publishes hearing notices and responds to phone inquiries and that Creek Stewardship and stormwater outreach programs provide ongoing education. Vice Chair Arnoni and others pressed staff on whether the enterprise provides sufficient funding for maintenance and infrastructure: staff said the current assessment funds regulatory compliance and some maintenance but not major infrastructure replacement, and that the city is preparing a storm-drain master plan to quantify long-term needs and funding options.

The board voted to recommend the council hearing and placement on the tax roll. The motion was moved by Board Member Mullen, seconded by Vice Chair Arnoni, and passed by roll call with Board Members Wright, Mullen, Bartholow, Vice Chair Arnoni and Chair Galvin voting Aye; Board Members DeWitt and Bavenport were absent.