Douglas County creates stormwater enterprise fund and hires consultant to design equitable fee

The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners voted to create a Stormwater Enterprise Fund and move forward with a countywide stormwater utility, authorizing staff to hire a consultant to design an equitable fee structure.

The board adopted Resolution 2025-R-102, which rescinds a prior funding action and establishes an enterprise fund intended to provide dedicated, sustainable revenue for stormwater operations, capital projects and conservation easements. County staff told commissioners the current $1,100,000 annual general-fund transfer is not sufficient to continue maintenance and meet regulatory obligations.

Why it matters: staff said a dedicated fund would replace an unreliable general-fund subsidy, leverage grant and low-interest loan programs and allow the county to pursue capital projects identified in the stormwater master plan. County projections presented to the board showed operating costs trending above the current transfer and a capital program that would require significant new revenue to complete prioritized projects.

Staff presentation and recommendations: Assistant County Manager Wendy Lang and Stormwater Program Manager Courtney Walker walked the board through the county’s watersheds, regulatory duties at Lake Tahoe and the stormwater…