Clarion Borough Stormwater Authority Public Information Meeting Set for Wednesday

Aly Delp

Aly Delp

Published February 5, 2019 5:45 am
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CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – The Clarion Borough Stormwater Authority will hold a public information meeting on Wednesday night to address plans for repairs and upgrades to its stormwater management system and newly enacted fee.

The meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 6, at the Main Street Center in Clarion.

Stormwater Authority officials will cover several topics, including:

  • The stormwater management fee
  • The tiered fee structure
  • The quarterly billing schedule
  • Impervious area and how it is measured
  • The appeals process
  • The fee credit (discount) policy
  • Immediate repair projects
  • The five-year plan for repairs and upgrades
  • Answers to questions from borough landowners

The recently enacted stormwater fee for new “utility” charges starts at $3.00 per month and residential property owners are expected to pay an average of $12.00 per month.

The basic fee is $3.00 per month for every 1,000 feet of impervious area (IA) – roofs, sidewalks driveways, patios – any area open to the sky that does not allow water to soak into the ground.

Properties are divided into seven tiers depending on the amount of IA. Areas are rounded to the nearest 100 square feet. Properties with less than 500 square feet of IA pay no fee.

The rates are based on the square footage of impervious surfaces on each property. The ordinance defines the impervious surface as a surface that prevents the infiltration of water into the ground. Impervious surface (or area) includes, but is not limited to roofs, additional indoor living spaces, patios, garages, store sheds, and similar structures, swimming pools, paved parking or driveway areas, and private streets, and sidewalks. Any surface areas initially proposed to be gravel or crushed stone shall be assumed to be impervious areas.

The monthly fee for tiers one through six will be the tier number multiplied by $3.00. The monthly fee for Tier 7 will be the property’s impervious area rounded to the closest hundred square feet divided by 1000 and multiplied by $3.00.

The fee is billed by the quarter, and there is a two percent discount for paying annually.

Tier 0 – less than 500 square feet of IA – no fee.
Tier 1 – between 500 and 1,499 square feet of IA – $3.00 per month, $9.00 per quarter.
Tier 2 – between 1,500 and 2,499 square feet of IA – $6.00 per month, $18.00 per quarter.
Tier 3 – between 2,500 and 3,499 square feet of IA – $9.00 per month, $27.00 per quarter.
Tier 4 – between 3,500 and 4,499 square feet of IA – $12.00 per month, $36.00 per quarter.
Tier 5 – between 4,500 and 5,499 square feet of IA – $15.00 per month, $45.00 per quarter.
Tier 6 – between 5,500 and 6,499 square feet of IA – $18.00 per month, $54.00 per quarter.
Tier 7 – 6,500 square feet of IA and greater – $3.00 for every 1,000 square feet of IA per month and $9.00 for every 1,000 square feet per quarter, rounded to the neared 100 square feet.

Tier 7 will likely apply to large areas of IA such as Clarion University with numerous parking lots and buildings, Clarion County, Clarion Area School District, and Clarion Borough.  Clarion University is not permitted to pay taxes, but it does, as the other tax-exempt properties, pay utilities.

Assessments of properties were done using aerial information, but a map is not now available for public viewing. Most of the assessments have also been completed on an excel spreadsheet. Authorities plan to make the information public in the future.

There will also be opportunities for property owners to apply for credit based on efforts to divert water from entering into the stormwater system. The authority will also hold appeals of assessments.

The stormwater fee is not a new idea in Clarion Borough.

The borough began to investigate such a fee in November of 2015. The fee was originally discussed due to a possibility of Department of Environmental Protection legislation mandating better control of stormwater following directions from the federal government, and while the final federal legislation passed did not mandate addressing stormwater problems for municipalities the size of Clarion Borough, continued issues with the aging stormwater system brought the issue around again recently.

Facing anticipated costs of $5 million over the next five years for stormwater projects, the Clarion Borough Stormwater Authority formally adopted a seven-tier fee system related to the amount of stormwater entering the stormwater system in Clarion Borough on Thursday night, January 24.

One of the attraction back in 2015, and now, is that the fee is not a tax and could be charged to the many tax-exempt properties in the borough such as Clarion University, Clarion County, and Clarion Area School District. While the stormwater fee will bring in some revenue, grants will also play a role in funding projects. Such as the $1.5 million Center Place Project, which is being funded two-thirds through grants and one-third through a loan.

The creation of the Stormwater Authority also means that all stormwater expenses are to be paid by the authority and not the borough. Even though some current and former council members sit on the authority, it is an independent group.

More information is available at the Clarion Borough Stormwater Authority on Facebook.

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