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Do IT this week: Layering
Sewer district aims to raise $38 million a year to deal with stormwater problems
By Rick Armon
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Wednesday, Nov 25, 2009
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District plans to impose a new stormwater fee on property owners — $57 a year for the average homeowner.
The sewer district wants to raise more than $38 million a year to create a stormwater management program to deal with long-standing flooding, erosion and water-quality problems in the region.
District officials say their 330,000 customers in Cuyahoga, Lorain and Summit counties need to pony up the cash for the effort beginning next year.
The seven-member district board is expected to vote on the program in January, with the new fees on bills in July.
With the economy still staggering, the new fee would come at a terrible time for many homeowners and businesses, opponents said. The program is facing threats of legal action from
Summit County leaders.
But the district insists the stormwater program is needed now as it has identified a backlog of projects costing $200 million.
''The problems are getting worse, worse and worse,'' spokeswoman Jennifer Elting said. ''There's more flooding. There's more erosion . . . It's really time to do what's right for our region.''
The fees
A Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court order in 1972 created the regional sewer district, which oversees wastewater treatment in all or parts of about 60 communities in the Cleveland metropolitan area. About 1 million people live in the service area.
The entity also was charged with overseeing stormwater issues, but hasn't developed a program.
The district estimates it would collect about $18.5 million next year, and about $38 million in 2011, the first full year of collections. A five-year plan calls for the fee to rise 8.4 percent through 2014.
The district wants to use the new revenue to develop a regional stormwater master plan, and to fix chronic flooding and erosion problems.
The district also wants to partner with local communities on projects and grow the program beyond its current borders, said Frank Greenland, director of watershed programs.
The proposed stormwater fees are based on the amount of impervious surface area, such as parking lots and roofs, that contribute to water runoff.
Most homeowners would pay $57 a year, with owners of small homes being charged $34 and large homes $100. Those who qualify for a homestead exemption would pay $23.40 a year.
Nonresidential property owners also would pay, with their fee depending on the amount of impervious surface area. The fee easily would reach into thousands of dollars.
For example, sewer officials estimated that St. Mary Catholic Church in Hudson would pay $3,762 a year.
Homeowners and businesses could lessen the charge by up to 75 percent by reducing the amount of water runoff from their properties by installing rain gardens and retention ponds.
Stormwater programs are common, with about 1,000 operating throughout the United States, district officials said.
The fees proposed here also are less than elsewhere, they said. For example, property owners in Portland, Ore., pay nearly $17 a month.
Opposition
The sewer district is facing heavy resistance from some residents and government leaders, particularly in northern Summit County.
About 25,000 to 30,000 district customers are located in northern Summit County communities, including Macedonia, Hudson and Richfield.
The district has not notified individual customers about the proposed fee, but has been holding public meetings throughout the region. Elting said individual customers would be alerted after the board approves the program.
Many local residents and government leaders who are aware of the program said they feel the fee is being rammed down their throats, that the high charges will discourage businesses from locating within the district and that the money will go to subsidize Cuyahoga County.
''It seems I might as well be annexed into Cuyahoga County,'' retired Northfield Center Township resident George Volk, 64, said at a public meeting held recently at the Richfield Branch Library.
The district's plan also is flawed, some say, because it doesn't address an entire watershed — just stormwater issues within the district's boundaries.
Then there's the concern that no one from Summit County serves on the district board.
''I have a problem with seven people sitting in a palace in Cleveland telling Summit County what to do,'' Macedonia Mayor Don Kuchta said. ''Can you imagine someone having the ability to come in and tell my taxpayers that they have to pay more money to another county? It's ridiculous.''
He called the effort ''padding the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District's pocket.''
Considering that Cleveland has combined stormwater and sewer lines, Summit County residents will end up paying for sewer projects in the neighboring county, Kuchta said.
A district spokeswoman denied that would happen.
''We're planning to be really, really transparent with this issue and make certain that there is a separation,'' Elting said. ''This isn't even just a Cuyahoga-Summit issue. The similar concern comes up when we're talking with suburbs within Cuyahoga County.''
Macedonia sent a letter last week to the district board saying that Macedonia ''will support any and all legal challenges to this plan, and strongly encourages NEORSD to rescind the plan as to Macedonia and Summit County.''
The Summit County Prosecutor's Office also sent a letter last week to the district opposing the program, noting that the county engineer is in charge of stormwater management in Summit.
''Your organization does not have jurisdiction to impose regulations upon Summit County residents for stormwater management — rather your authority ends with your sewer district duties,'' Assistant Prosecutor Susan Baker Ross wrote.
Summit County Council has passed a resolution opposing the program.
''It's a joke,'' said council President Nick Kostandaras, who lives in Richfield.
Many Summit County leaders believe there will be a lawsuit over the issue.
''Let the horns get locked and see what happens,'' Northfield Center Township Trustee Paul Buescher said.
When the general public learns about the fee, Northfield Center Administrator Sam Ciocco said, he expects the ''fit hits the shan.'' He decried the fact that the district can impose the fee without public input.
''If you have confidence in your program, put it to a vote,'' he told district leaders at the Richfield meeting.
For more details about the stormwater program, call 216-881-6600 or go to http://www.neorsd.org/stormwater.php.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District plans to impose a new stormwater fee on property owners — $57 a year for the average homeowner.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Akron, , OH
Posted 06:38 AM, 11/25/2009
Nick is on point!!!
Posted 06:41 AM, 11/25/2009
Storm water is rain water, for millions of years it has been raining and the waters go where they go with no problems. When man builds in the way of the storm water runoff there lies the problem. This is a ripoff like, global warming and the tax on septic systems. Just another unwanted tax. Vote them all out.
Posted 07:18 AM, 11/25/2009
I don't know about anyone else ... But I can't afford one more penny for anything!
Anti-Politically Correct & Anti-GOP, OH
Posted 07:51 AM, 11/25/2009
Barberton residents are already paying $60.00 per year ($5.00 per month) for this and NOTHING has been done yet! They have been charging us for a few years now.
akron, oh
Posted 08:19 AM, 11/25/2009
Well I have maybe a stupid question, will this be on top of Akrons residents double or triple rate hike to appease the EPA idiots?
Akron, OH
Posted 08:46 AM, 11/25/2009
==================
(Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District spokeswoman Jennifer) Elting said individual customers would be alerted AFTER the board approves the program.
==================
There is nothing like doing things IN SECRET to increase the public's suspicion of your group's action!
Unfortunately, the only people who win on this deal are the politician's attorney friends when the lawsuits begin.
Akron, OH
Posted 08:59 AM, 11/25/2009
@dduckster, Akron residents do not pay to both Akron for sewers and Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District for sewers, so it does not matter. The fees are not related and no one would be paying both.
Akron, OH
Posted 09:00 AM, 11/25/2009
@Overtaxed Voter, nothing is being done "in secret" since they are "holding public meetings throughout the region".
Akron, OH
Posted 10:05 AM, 11/25/2009
Put it to a vote.
Or it's time for another tea party.
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Posted 10:44 AM, 11/25/2009
I already pay the City of Cuyahoga Falls 36.00 per year for storm sewers. I live on an unimproved street, hence, no sewers.
Norton, Oh
Posted 11:10 AM, 11/25/2009
Charging residents for storm water removal is one of the biggest scams being perpetuated by our local governments. As the article clearly states... Out of all the cities in this country, there are less than 1,000 of these programs. Thats because, just like with Akron and its storm sewer issues, Cuy Cty was told in 1972 to rectify this and did nothing (according to the article), and now they are using it as a way to steal more of our money. NO NEW TAXES PERIOD !
Akron, Oh
Posted 11:33 AM, 11/25/2009
(paste) ''I have a problem with seven people sitting in a palace in Cleveland telling Summit County what to do,'' Macedonia Mayor Don Kuchta said. ''Can you imagine someone having the ability to come in and tell my taxpayers that they have to pay more money to another county? It's ridiculous.'' (end paste)
Now try living in Cuyahoga Falls on Seasons Road and then watch a NEIGHBORING COMMUNITY in this case the City of STOW file in court to take part of your property by EMINENT DOMAIN.
Can you IMAGINE a neighboring community taking YOUR PROPERTY by eminent domain?? A community you do not live in (and have zero vote in their affairs)... taking part of your property and endangering your septic system....
I (Like Mayor Kutcha) also say... RIDICULOUS..
but YES it is TRUE...
So I wonder... exactly how is that any different?
Government gets real upset when you go after their revenue but they can be HEARTLESS AND UNCARING when they come after you..
Four of the six homes on Seasons Road have to go before Summit County Probate court and face the City of Stow and exactly how many of these four homes are in Stow and how many of these homeowners live in the City of Stow?
Answer... NONE...
When they are chasing REVENUE (money for themselves) they seem to have a WHOLE DIFFERENT ATTITUDE.. about what's right or fair.
I'd bet the "palace in Stow" is a lot more elegant then that "palace in Cleveland"...
If you see a councilman or women in Stow. PLEASE TELL THEM TO PLEASE DO RIGHT BY FOLKS THEY TAKE PROPERTY FROM...
NO EMINENT DOMAIN FOR PRIVATE GAIN...
Rittman, Oh
Posted 01:32 PM, 11/25/2009
Funny how every city engages in the art of raising a new tax to perform an old service because it has been neglected in the preceeding years and that should already exist and under existing funding.
uniontown, oh
Posted 02:09 PM, 11/25/2009
seven people get to say we need $38 million so hand it over? Lucky they didn't say $138 million. What can we do? Nothing, pay up.
Stow, OH
Posted 08:04 PM, 11/25/2009
It's actually $57 a year and I oppose this.
Norton, Oh
Posted 09:08 PM, 11/25/2009
When are we, as Americans, going to say enough is enough? What would our Government (Fed and local)do if we all changed our W4's so we had no taxes taken from our paychecks, then we all refused to send them the money? Are they going to prosecute the entire country? I know that seems extreme, but it is time to take a stand and JUST SAY NO !!
