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Woodfin council reduces stormwater fees after new impervious-surface analysis
Summary
Using updated aerial data, the council approved lower stormwater fees and revised the ERU (equivalent residential unit) rate at the June 17 meeting after a public hearing.
The Town of Woodfin Town Council approved an amendment to the stormwater fee rate structure on June 17 after staff presented an updated analysis of impervious surface using new aerial photography and building-footprint data.
Town staff told the council that the updated land-cover analysis showed about 24 million square feet of impervious surface town-wide and that commercial properties account for roughly 58 percent of impervious coverage. Staff recommended keeping the existing tiered structure for single-family residential accounts but reducing the per-unit fees because improved data and improved tax-office collection rates reduced the revenue need per billing unit.
Under the new calculation, the town determined an equivalent residential unit (ERU) to be 3,891 square feet of impervious surface. Using the ERU method for commercial properties, the monthly ERU rate was proposed at $5.44 — roughly $0.50 lower than the current per-ERU rate — and the residential tiers were reduced on average by about 21.8 percent. Staff explained that improved collection (the tax office now enforces the fee on property tax bills) and additional measured impervious area allowed the town to lower rates while preserving the enterprise fund balance and planned capital work.
At the public hearing, a resident asked about earlier unpaid fees and how the town would collect past-due stormwater amounts; staff answered that the town now places the fee on the property tax bill and the tax office will enforce collection the same way it does for property taxes going forward.
Council moved to adopt the ordinance amending Chapter 41, Article 7 (stormwater management utility) rate structure. The motion carried without recorded roll-call opposition.
Town staff said the stormwater enterprise fund remains restricted by law to stormwater purposes and that the council expects to hold a surplus in capital improvement for stormwater projects while it awaits final engineering and cost estimates for repairs tied to tropical storm recovery work.
Council members asked staff to publicize the fee reduction on the town website and on social media as positive news for residents; staff agreed to prepare messaging after the ordinance became official.
