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Council cautioned as staff outlines stormwater increases and Hiawatha funding options
Summary
Staff said the stormwater budget rises by about $77,000 but a third-party account review kept the per-ERU rate near $88.91; staff outlined two Hiawatha-project funding options that would raise ERU rates sharply if absorbed in a single year versus spread over two years.
Jess told the council the stormwater fund would see about a $77,000 budget increase driven by capital needs and that, after a detailed account review of impervious areas and credits, the proposed ERU rate is $88.91 per ERU. "The rate is, as proposed, is increasing to $88.91 per ERU," Jess said, adding that the recalculation limited the per-ERU increase compared with earlier budget versions.
For the Hiawatha project — identified as a necessary project with a 2028 timeline — staff presented two funding paths: absorb the full cost in FY27 (which staff estimated would push ERU-equivalent impacts toward $286 per ERU in a hypothetical illustration) or spread the cost over FY27 and FY28 (bringing an illustrative ERU number closer to $215). Councilors expressed concern that charging ratepayers for the full cost in one fiscal year would be untenable and asked about bonding capacity and alternative phasing. Staff said the council retains the flexibility to bond, spread costs or revisit budgets during the year but warned that deferrals in prior years concentrated pressure in FY27.
Councilors underscored the need to communicate clearly with ratepayers and to weigh bonding options against near-term rate shock. Staff scheduled a public hearing for April 29 to solicit rate-setting feedback and said it will provide more detailed options for funding large projects ahead of that hearing.
