MS4 staff propose new stormwater operations fund funded by permit review fees

MS4 and Soil & Water staff briefed the council on a proposed new stormwater operations fund during the July 15 workshop and asked the council to accept the departmental twos and threes while holding the new fund creation for the commissioners’ meeting.

Presenters said the MS4 budget request for the twos and threes was essentially level with the prior year (listed as $76,009.50 overall), while describing a new separate stormwater operations fund they intend to seed with transfers from the MS4 nonreverting fund and a participation fund. The fund would be financed over time by review and permitting fees charged to developers; staff estimated the average recent permit review fee at roughly $1,800 per significant site and said peer counties are in a similar fee range.

Commissioners questioned a $10,000 internal reallocation from employee education to professional services and asked that the MS4 office identify what belongs in claims, mileage and equipment accounts. A friendly amendment clarified that a small 'claims' line should be relabeled to an equipment or equipment supplies category to improve transparency; staff recommended leaving a limited 'miscellaneous claims' bucket for the first year in order to track unknowns and refine categories in year two.

MS4 staff said the stormwater operations fund is intended to be self‑supporting and would not draw from the general fund; commissioners were told the county commissioners will see the fund creation on a separate agenda and that a transfer request will return for formal approval if the fund is created. The council approved the current twos and threes for MS4 with the recommended title change for the small claims bucket and asked staff to return with clarifying documentation.