Council sets May 12 public hearing on stormwater fee for non‑sewer customers

Noblesville City Common Council on April 28 voted to set a public hearing for May 12 on Ordinance 19‑04‑26, a measure to charge a standalone stormwater fee to users who are not served by the city sewer system.

City Attorney John Hughes told the council the ordinance would allow Noblesville to collect a stormwater rate from properties that receive stormwater services but are not connected to city sewer, notably areas served by Hamilton Southeastern Utilities and Fishers Sewer Service. “If you’re on city sewer, this will not be a rate increase to you at all,” Hughes said, adding that the change is intended to have users pay their fair share for stormwater services.

Jonathan Mergo, the utilities staff member introduced by the city attorney, described the technical basis for the fee. Mergo said staff used a county GIS land‑cover analysis to calculate impervious area and defined an Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) as 3,550 square feet. Based on that analysis the proposed residential rate is $6.60 per ERU; the proposal includes a 30% discount for multifamily residential customers, and staff excluded vacant parcels and agricultural land from billing.

Council members asked how bills would be delivered. Hughes and Mergo said properties inside prior agreements with Hamilton Southeastern Utilities would continue to be billed by that utility per existing arrangements; properties outside those agreements but using Noblesville stormwater services would receive bills from the city. Hughes noted the Board of Works had unanimously recommended the rate to the council and that public notice of the hearing will run in the paper prior to the May meeting.

The council voted to establish the public hearing; details and a staff presentation will be available at the May 12 meeting where members of the public may testify.