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Money would pay for storm-water program
By Rick Armon
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Wednesday, Jan 06, 2010
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District board will meet Thursday to vote on its controversial storm-water management program.
The proposed program would address long-standing flooding, water-quality and erosion problems in the region.
It also would impose a new monthly fee on all property owners in the district, which serves more than 1 million people in the Greater Cleveland area, including many communities in northern Summit County.
The fee — $57 a year for the average homeowner — has prompted some outcry from the public, given the poor economy. Summit County and seven of its northern communities have filed a lawsuit, claiming the Cuyahoga County-based district has no authority to oversee storm-water issues in Summit County.
Summit County also sought a temporary restraining order to prevent the board from voting Thursday, but a magistrate has opted not to hold a hearing on the request because the district would not start collecting the fee until July, officials said.
District leaders say the program is needed because it has identified about $200 million worth of critical storm-water projects.
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 would pay a fee based
on the amount of impervious surface area, such as parking lots and roofs, that contribute to water runoff. The fee easily could reach into thousands of dollars.
Homeowners and businesses that reduce water runoff by installing rain gardens or retention ponds could lessen their charge by up to 75 percent.
The fee is expected to raise about $38 million in its first full year.
Storm-water programs are common, with about 1,000 operating throughout the United States, local district officials have said. The fees proposed here also are less than elsewhere, they said.
For example, property owners in Portland, Ore., pay nearly $17 a month.
The Summit County communities affected comprise all or portions of Boston Heights, Hudson, Macedonia, Northfield, Richfield, Twinsburg, and Bath, Northfield Center, Richfield, Sagamore Hills and Twinsburg townships.
The seven-member district board will meet at 12:30 p.m. at the Judge George J. McMonagle Building, 3900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. A district spokeswoman said it's unclear how many people will attend.
For details about the district or storm-water program, 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 board will meet Thursday to vote on its controversial storm-water management program.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 06:45 AM, 01/06/2010
Did our city and county leaders apply for some of the new stimulus money due to come out in 2010 to offset this expense? Maybe it's easier to dump it on the home owners, like everything else.
Akron, , OH
Posted 07:05 AM, 01/06/2010
Bend over ...Again
Getting in Your Mind, Oh
Posted 10:23 AM, 01/06/2010
Do those numbers make sense? How is 1,000 of these 'programs' a common thing? When you think of how many counties there are in the United States (an avg of 62 per state x 50 = 3100), that is less than one third. It appears more as if this minority of counties (jurisdictions) have only discovered another way of taking more money from its residents. They already charge you sewer fees. It is their job to make that money work. But we continually allow our politicians and civil leaders to take and take. What happens when there is no more to take? They are trying to tax and fee us into two classes. Them (the haves) and Us (the have nots). No more tier system. Those with the money and power (politicians), and those they took it from (voters).
