Cupertino council renews stormwater fees; 2019 clean-water fee rises 2.38%

Cupertino City Council voted unanimously on June 3 to renew two property-based stormwater fees the city uses to meet federal and regional stormwater permit obligations. 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.

City staff said the increase matches the consumer-price index for the fee’s allowed adjustment window and would raise about $27,500 in revenue for the coming fiscal year — roughly $1.12 per year for an average single-family parcel. The fees fund city work required under the San Francisco Bay National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit (commonly called the Municipal Regional Permit), which establishes regional requirements for stormwater pollution prevention.

Environmental Programs and Sustainability Manager Ursula Sajirova described the scope of work supported by the fees, including inspections, trash-capture devices, volunteer creek cleanups, street sweeping cost-sharing, plan review, and annual reporting to the regional water board. Sajirova told council that auditors’ agreed-upon procedures for recent years showed no exceptions.

Council members pressed staff about fund balance and what would happen if the fund runs short; staff said the general fund would be used to bridge shortfalls. Vice Mayor Moore asked whether the city’s half-share of street sweeping could be covered from other sources; staff said that would be possible.

The council voted to adopt the renewals and the associated resolutions that implement the fee changes; the motion carried unanimously.