City staff and consultant present stormwater utility feasibility study; committee signals interest in further steps

Strand Associates on Aug. 14 presented a stormwater quality management plan update and a feasibility study for creating a dedicated stormwater utility for the City of Wausau. Justin Getoski, stormwater municipal engineer with Strand Associates, described how utilities allocate charges by impervious area using an Equivalent Runoff Unit (ERU) and presented budget projections spanning 10–30 years.

Key takeaways from the presentation: Strand calculated the ERU for a typical single‑family parcel in Wausau as 2,836 square feet of impervious area and estimated about 30,419 ERUs across the city. Based on program budgets required to meet current MS4 and TMDL obligations, a single‑family residential parcel’s annual charge under a stormwater utility would fall roughly in the range of $64.51 to about $170 per year depending on the long‑range budget scenario and phasing assumptions.

The study explained how a stormwater utility shifts costs from the property‑tax levy to user‑based charges that scale with impervious area and would allow the city to plan and fund stormwater projects for TMDL compliance, flood control, and infrastructure replacement. Strand also identified typical implementation steps: a stormwater utility task force, an updated impervious‑area GIS verification, a formal utility ordinance, billing system integration, public education, and a credit policy for stormwater reduction practices.

Legal and budget context: Justin Getoski reminded the committee that, under 2013 Wisconsin Act 20, the city must reduce its levy limit by the amount of any new fee that replaces levy‑funded services. City staff said they would consult the city attorney to determine how Act 20 applies to Wausau’s budget and levy calculation.

Committee reaction and next steps: Committee members asked about levy interactions, funding equity between parcels, and the regulatory status of stormwater utility rates. Staff said drinking water rates are PSC‑regulated but stormwater rates are local. Several alderpersons supported presenting the feasibility study to the full council and convening a stakeholder task force to work through implementation details and public outreach. Strand estimated an implementation timeline of about one to two years if the city proceeds with a task force and public engagement.

Ending: The committee did not take formal action to adopt a utility at the meeting, but members instructed staff to present the study to the full council, consider convening a task force, and continue technical work on budgets, impervious‑area verification and outreach.