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Residents press council over stormwater fee after court ruling; mayor explains MS4 obligations
Summary
A resident and council members raised concerns about a court decision that affected stormwater fees; the mayor explained that the city’s fee is tied to federal MS4 permit obligations and that large property owners like Lehigh University have agreed to continue paying.
A council member said they were "kinda shocked" by a recent court ruling and asked whether nonprofit institutions had refused to pay the city's stormwater fee after the decision, saying, "it's illegal for the stormwater fee... they considered it a tax." The question prompted an extended explanation from the mayor and administration about how the fee functions.
The mayor said the fee is connected to federal MS4/MPDES permit requirements and described the method used to determine capital needs and allocate costs across property owners. He noted that Lehigh University has volunteered to continue paying and estimated Lehigh's annual payment at roughly $200,000 and the school district at about $80. The mayor emphasized that the city will continue to collect fees while addressing individual situations as needed and that municipalities are discussing possible legislative fixes.
