Council holds first reading of stormwater ordinance; public hearing set for July 16

The Nashville Town Council held a first reading June 18 of "Ordinance 20 26-07," a proposal to establish stormwater rates and charges for the town. Town manager said the utility service board and consultants developed the rate structure to fund failing stormwater infrastructure and recommended a charge of $6 per month — $72 per year — for a single-family-equivalent EDU, with the fee placed on property tax bills and levied to property owners rather than renters.

Town manager said the town has requested outside funding and received an initial commitment of $700,000 from Senator Houchin's office toward a larger water-system project estimated at about $12,000,000. The manager said the stormwater fees would begin after council approval and would not be charged until the following year if the ordinance is adopted this year.

During public comment, residents described repeated flooding and clogged drains downtown. One resident urged the town to take responsibility for public stormwater facilities and to ensure systems function during heavy rains rather than only performing pre-rain cleaning. Jimmy Tilter, who identified himself as a nearby business owner, said storm drains were "not draining" during a recent storm and asked who is responsible for downstream blockages; council members acknowledged the complaint and said they would prioritize inspection and repairs at that location.

Council scheduled a public hearing on the proposed ordinance for the next council meeting, Thursday, July 16, and the council completed the first reading by title. No adoption vote occurred at the session; next steps are the public hearing and a second reading before any fees would take effect.

The council and staff emphasized that parcel-by-parcel EDU calculations were completed by town engineers and that the fee structure is intended to fund maintenance, repair and replacement of public stormwater facilities owned by the town.