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Monterey staff present Prop 218 storm‑water fee: average homeowner estimate $4.81/month; ballots and protest process explained
Summary
City engineers described a proposed storm‑water utility fee based on impervious area that would dedicate funds to storm‑water operations and compliance; staff said the average single‑family home would pay about $4.81 per month and outlined the Prop 218 protest and ballot timeline, while answering resident questions about billing and collection.
City staff presented a proposed storm‑water utility fee they plan to place under the Proposition 218 process to fund storm‑water operations, maintenance and regulatory compliance.
Rebecca Bagot of the engineering team described the fee as a monthly property charge calculated by impervious surface area (rooftops, driveways and paved areas pay higher amounts because they generate more runoff). Bagot said revenue from the fee would be restricted to storm‑water program costs and consistent with legal requirements for utility fees. “Properties with more impervious areas are assigned higher charges because they generate more runoff,” Bagot said.
Bagot presented an illustrative average: a typical single‑family home would pay about $4.81 per month (about $57.72 per year) under the proposed schedule; larger properties would pay higher tiers. She explained the study used a GIS‑based analysis of impervious area across property types, and that the fee is projected to cover roughly two‑thirds of ongoing program operating costs, with the remaining third still supported by the general fund.
Staff showed an AI‑assisted explainer video detailing the system: approximately 9,269 properties served, about 1,494 catch basins and roughly 40 miles of underground pipe, and described the program’s roles in flood management and water‑quality protection under the city’s MS4 permit.
Residents asked how the fee would be collected and how property assessments would be handled. Staff said the city proposes placing the fee on the county tax roll to minimize billing costs, explained a computed rate table by property type and said the fee would be subject to a maximum annual increase of 3%. On the Prop 218 schedule, staff said written protests are collected during the protest period and that property‑owner ballots will be mailed; during Q&A staff made two different statements about the ballot mail date and offered to follow up with a clear schedule to anyone who requested it.
Next steps: staff said property‑owner ballots will be mailed as part of the Prop 218 process and that, if approved, the fee would take effect in FY 26–27. Staff provided contact information and a project web page for questions and for follow‑up on the protest/ballot timeline.
