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Hebron council considers stormwater utility to fund flood mitigation
Summary
Village officials discussed creating a stormwater utility that would set an Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) fee (recommended $6.52/month for a single-family home in the 2022 proposal) to generate dedicated revenue for flood mitigation and infrastructure repairs; implementation could take roughly six months.
Village Administrator Jung-Han Chen presented council with a proposal to establish a dedicated stormwater utility to fund flood-mitigation projects and long-term infrastructure in Hebron.
The proposal, based on 2022 work, would assign an Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) according to impervious surface and charge property owners accordingly. "The recommended ERU for a single-family home in 2022 was $6.52 per month, which would generate approximately $280,000," Chen said, and estimated the utility would take at least six months to set up because each property must be assessed.
The proposal drew practical and political questions from councilmembers. Annelle Porter urged the village use its newsletter and other channels to explain the charges to residents so the measure is not misperceived. Jerry Carpenter, who said he has felt the effects of local flooding, said he would prefer a stable utility fee to the ad hoc cost of individual flood repairs.
Linda Nicodemus of the Licking County Soil and Water Conservation District framed the utility as a necessary funding mechanism. "No one is exempt from storm water regulations," she said, and recommended mitigation actions, educational outreach and potential credit programs. Nicodemus and administrators discussed examples from Newark and possible discounts for schools, churches, industries and property owners who install rain-barrel or downspout controls.
Fiscal controls would be built into the program. Fiscal Officer Deborah Morgan said a new fund created for the utility would be restricted so revenues could be used only for stormwater-related purposes and that council would review the fund after the first year.
Next steps: Council members asked staff to continue refining the ERU assessments, outreach plan and potential discount/credit structures. No ordinance or fee resolution was adopted at the meeting; the proposal remains under committee and staff review.
