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Woodfin staff outline stormwater fee, FEMA reimbursements and CIP; council asked to track county fire-tax proposal
Summary
Council received a detailed stormwater fee update and CIP overview, and discussed FEMA reimbursement timing and a county fire-tax rebalancing proposal that may change residents' tax bills; staff will model scenarios and return with options.
Town staff briefed the Woodfin Town Council on stormwater fees, FEMA reimbursement status, the five-year capital improvement plan and a county-level fire-tax proposal at the April 14 budget work session.
Adrian presented the stormwater fee structure and revenue projection, citing a 95% collection-rate projection that produces approximately $408,000 in gross revenue and an expected collectible amount of roughly $384,000 when modeled. He summarized the fee tiers and said the Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) is 3,685 square feet; commercial and residential breakdowns were provided to show most parcels are in the lowest residential tier. "We plan to leave the fee the same as last year," Adrian said, noting staff will revisit the fee next year when new aerial impervious-surface data becomes available.
Cherry Powers outlined the town's FEMA reimbursement status: the town has received approximately $2.286 million to date and staff reported a recent FEMA obligation of about $1.124 million for a large debris-removal project; another pending obligation is $675,000 for French Broad River stabilization, which is under review. Staff emphasized that FEMA funding is reimbursement-based and that the town must bridge cashflow to get work done, so they recommended budgeting stormwater and power-bill monies to pre-audit and enter engineering contracts now.
Council also discussed the county's proposed fire-tax rebalancing, which aims to equalize equipment and response capacity across fire districts. Officials said fire districts would remain autonomous but that a reallocation of tax shares could cause some town residents to see higher bills and others to see decreases. Council asked staff to request the county's numbers and to research the process and the implications of an option to bring fire services under town control in the future so the board can understand trade-offs before any local legislative steps.
The council asked staff to prepare several budget options for the May meeting, including different COLA scenarios and a four-times-per-year bulky-item pickup cost estimate. Staff said the formal recommended budget will be presented at the May work session and the public hearing and adoption will occur in June to comply with state statute.
