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Dearborn County MS4 coordinator seeks $55,000 stormwater utility study; commissioners table request
Summary
MS4 coordinator Sandy Whitehead asked the board to request council funds for a stormwater utility rate study (three bids: $45,000–$74,000; staff favor a $55,000 proposal) to fund drainage projects and MS4 compliance. Commissioners tabled the item pending clarity on funding and how rates would be applied.
Sandy Whitehead, Dearborn County MS4 coordinator, asked the commissioners June 2 for permission to seek council funding to commission a stormwater utility rate study that would identify how to fund drainage repairs, staffing and MS4 compliance projects. Whitehead said the county is considering three proposals that range from $45,000 to $74,000 and that staff are leaning toward a $55,000 firm because of its experience.
"The storm water utility helps us basically to remain in compliance with the MS4 general permit," Whitehead said, adding that a study would determine rates by evaluating impervious surfaces and identifying projects to fund. She described the study as the step that would let the county create a dedicated fund — for example, a small monthly charge on a utility or tax bill — to pay for capital repairs and routine drainage maintenance.
Commissioners pressed staff on who must appropriate funds, how any charge would be levied and collected, and whether state regulators would have a role. One commissioner noted, "Sandy doesn't have the authority to bind the county for more than a year for more than $25,000," and staff said that because the contract would exceed that threshold, council appropriation and a commissioners' approval would both be required if county funds are not already budgeted.
County staff and commissioners discussed options for collection (property tax bill, utility billing or other mechanisms), whether the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission would have jurisdiction, and how other nearby jurisdictions implemented fees. Whitehead said comparable studies in other communities had led to modest monthly charges: "Greenburg's is, I think, $5 and maybe some change a month," and that the study would identify similar rate structures and eligible projects.
Because questions about the source of funds, collection mechanisms and legal authority remained unresolved, a commissioner moved to table the request until staff consult with council, confirm the mechanism for applying any charge in unincorporated areas, and return with specifics. The motion was seconded and carried.
Next steps specified by the board include: staff outreach to other counties that have implemented stormwater utilities, consultation with county legal counsel and the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) as appropriate, and engagement with county highway and finance staff to identify implications for maintenance staffing and budgeting. Whitehead said the study timeline would likely be about six months once funded, with potential implementation in 2027 if approvals and funding align.
