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Residents pitch city-backed rainwater-harvesting rebate program
Summary
Several residents asked council to consider a city-run rebate or subsidy program to promote multi-thousand-gallon residential rainwater-harvesting systems and requested meetings with council and the MDD board for funding approval.
Multiple residents used the Citizens to Be Heard portion of the Sept. 4 meeting to propose a city-backed rainwater-harvesting rebate program that would subsidize household tanks and installations to reduce potable-water use.
Steve Brown, a Fair Oaks Ranch resident and organizer of a group he called a "consortium," described a program modeled on larger municipal rebates such as Austin's program. Brown said a viable system that meaningfully offsets landscape irrigation would likely be several thousand gallons and cost roughly $4,000—,000 to install. "We're proposing that the City of Fair Oaks Ranch use MDD funds," Brown said, referring to Municipal Development District funds that he described as an existing revenue stream to the city. "We believe that a program of this nature would meet all MDD requirements," he said, and requested that council members meet with group representatives to discuss a pilot program.
Brown suggested options including a program that reimburses up to 50% of costs (he cited Austin's program as a precedent), and he recommended including a sunset clause to allow a pilot to be discontinued if it underperforms.
Council members did not take formal action during the meeting; Brown and his group were directed to seek meetings with council members and the MDD board if they wished to develop a formal proposal.
Actions: No council action was taken on the proposal; residents were invited to meet with council members and staff to develop a formal program and funding plan for future consideration.
