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Cupertino renews storm-drain fees; 2019 clean-water fee raised 2.38% to match CPI
Summary
Council renewed the 1992 storm-drain fee with no increase and renewed the 2019 Clean Water and Storm Protection fee with a 2.38% increase, expected to raise about $27,500 and cost an average single-family parcel roughly $1.12 more annually; council approved related resolutions unanimously.
The Cupertino City Council on June 3 approved renewal of two stormwater-fee assessments tied to the Municipal Regional Permit. Staff recommended and the council approved renewing the 1992 storm-drain fee with no increase and renewing the 2019 Clean Water and Storm Protection fee with a 2.38% increase (the CPI-based adjustment for fiscal year 2025-26).
Ursula Sajirova, the city27s environmental programs and sustainability manager, told the council the 2019 fee increase would raise roughly $27,500 in revenue for the coming fiscal year and equate to about $1.12 per year for an average single-family home. "Increasing this fee by 2.38% would increase revenue by a bit over $27,500 for the coming fiscal year," Sajirova said during the presentation.
Sajirova described the program27s work: responding to spills, inspecting facilities, reviewing building plans, coordinating installation of trash-capture devices, and running volunteer creek cleanups. The city operates a Vactor truck and maintains more than 2,100 storm drains, several with trash-capture devices. She said the fees fund half the city27s street sweeping and that the program participates in the regional Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP).
Council members questioned fund health: staff noted a projected negative fund balance of about $654,002.91 for the following fiscal year if revenues do not otherwise increase; staff said the general fund could be used to bridge a gap and that the recommended 2.38% increase is the maximum allowed under the fee formula (CPI up to 3%). The council also noted a cost-share program for low-income property owners established in 2019 that provides a 20% rebate and a reduced ongoing rate; Sajirova said the program had one new participant in the past year, bringing the total to 277 participants.
Action: Council voted to renew the 1992 storm-drain fee with no change and to renew the 2019 Clean Water and Storm Protection fee with a 2.38% CPI increase and adopted the related resolutions (listed in the staff report as Resolution Nos. 25-036 and 25-037). The motion carried unanimously.
Ending: Staff said audit work (agreed-upon procedures for calendar years 2020-2024) found no exceptions; staff will continue to monitor fund balances and report back on options should deficits materialize.
