Item:
Title
Stormwater Utility Planning and Implementation Update (45min)
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: April 1, 2019
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to receive an update on the Falls and Jordan Lake Rules, the County's estimated costs of compliance, and the development of a stormwater utility fee as a funding source for to meet the Rules' requirements.
In FY2018, the Stormwater and Erosion Control Division contracted WK Dickson to complete a stormwater utility feasibility study including an overview of the history of the Falls Lake and Jordan Lake nutrient management rules, an assessment of the current legislative climate, and an analysis of the projected cost estimates to meet the requirements of the rules. The cost estimate analysis included a forecast of the costs as well as a timeline of how funding may be spent over time. In addition, WK Dickson developed three potential utility rate structures which will also be shared. The results of Phase I of this study were presented to Commissioners in one-on-one meetings in February 2018.
Since that time, County staff have worked with officials from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to refine the County's nutrient loading targets for Falls Lake and have continued working with the Jordan Lake One Water Association to better understand the requirements in that watershed. Over the next twenty-plus years, the County will be required to complete a number of activities to comply with the Falls and Jordan Lake Rules. In order to fund those activities, County staff will work with WK Dickson on refining the costs of compliance, identifying a rate structure, public education, and ultimately implementation of a stormwater utility fee.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: This project aligns with Goal 4: Environmental Stewardship by creating a funding source for water quality improvement projects across the County.
Resource Persons: Ryan D. Eaves, Stormwater and Eros...
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