04-10-25 - Charter Commission Agenda Packet

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This will decrease the burden on homeowners, business and industrial uses since the tax exempt properties will be paying their share. Q6: Can Lino Lakes use the SWU and is it authorized by State Statute? Yes, the SWU is authorized by State Statute, Chapter 444.075. Q7: Why should I pay if I don't drain into a drainage system? The SWU covers the costs for mandated planning and permit tasks that affect every parcel in the City. It also pays for O&M of the storm water management system that serves the public streets, which are necessary to access the parcels throughout the City. The fee does not cover the cost of an improvement that would benefit a specific property. Q8: Why are the existing City Departments not capable of handling this need? The utility is a financing method, not an agency; the Director of Public Services will be the administrator of the program. The utility will be the responsibility of the Public Services Department. A utility is defined as service charge based on a property's contribution of water to a drainage system. In addition, the City will be using the same billing system it does for water and sanitary sewer customers. This significantly reduces billing costs and the Citizens currently using water and sewer will not need to write a separate check for just the storm water utility. Q9: Is the utility really necessary? Rainfall causes the need for an adequate drainage system. Infrastructure that serves the City and land uses, including rural, create volumes of runoff and associated pollutant loads that the City is required to mitigate. To address water quantity (flooding) and water quality issues, a utility or user charge is necessary to finance the cost of the programs. Q10: Why do we pond storm water runoff today instead of just letting water runoff as fast as possible into ditches, storm sewers, rivers, and lakes like we did for years? Conveyance and pre-treatment of surface water runoff allows Lino Lakes to take a proactive rather than reactive approach to managing storm water runoff. As the City develops, runoff increases as well. The use of conveyance systems and ponding not only provides for the protection of property (flood control), but the reduction of peak flow rates. It also reduces the cost of installing storm sewer systems and ditch/culvert systems to carry the runoff from point A to point B. Additional benefits of storm water ponding include storm water protection and ground water protection. The use of storm water ponds can prevent pollutants associated with storm water from being carried downstream to lakes and wetlands thereby enhancing downstream water quality. By keeping water on the land rather than letting it drain away, infiltration of storm water can help to recharge the ground water levels.