Iowa Stormwater Fee Approved

Davenport, Iowa citizens tried to reason with aldermen, plead with them, make accusations and some even resorted to name-calling as they attempted to stop passage of a new stormwater fee March 1 at City Hall.

But a six-member majority of the city council remained unswayed and voted to give final approval to the fee that will charge homeowners $2.50 a month and much more than that to businesses, churches, apartment complexes and non-profit groups.

"My belief is that this is the right thing to do," said Alderman Bob McGivern, 6th Ward, even after he and colleagues who support the fee were called "bald-faced liars" by one resident. "

Aldermen said they are being forced to charge the fee to pay for requirements contained in a state and federal permit that allows the city to discharge stormwater runoff into area creeks, streams and rivers. Mapping of the city’s storm sewer system and locating illegal dumping of pollutants into waterways are among the new activities that must be performed.

The city now spends about $1.2 million from various budgets to do some stormwater management. The new fee is expected to raise about $2.5 million a year under a utility that will require that all the money be dedicated to stormwater management, city officials said.

But some citizens were skeptical of the city’s motives and bluntly questioned the truthfulness of aldermen and city officials who have spoken of the need for the fee and how it will be spent.

"What gives you the right to tax Mother Nature," said Scott Jones, a businessman in the city. "What’s next? Taxing the sunshine? We are being taxed because you can’t budget money."

Les Miller, of west Davenport, questioned why the city plans no monitoring of what is eventually discharged into waterways if it is being required to clean up runoff. "How are the people in the wards going to know if the water is polluted and if it is being cleaned?" he said.

Recently, Joe Griffin of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, told aldermen that there is no requirement in the city’s permit to measure the cleanliness of runoff. The city could have volunteered to monitor pollutants in runoff but decided against it.

Source: Quad City Times