Floyd County, Ind., farmers will pay the same $39 annual storm water drainage fee as single-family homeowners for at least the next six months.
The Floyd County Storm Water Board's members voted unanimously last night to adopt an amendment to its storm water ordinance; the amendment temporarily sets the same rate for everyone in the county, including farmers and business owners.
The original ordinance, when the board adopted it earlier this year, had set a base rate of $39 per year for homeowners but said that others would pay that amount for every 2,500 sq ft of impervious surface on their property. A business or farm with 5,000 sq ft of impervious area (i.e. parking lots, paved driveways, roofs), then, would pay $78 annually.
Many farmers objected to this plan, saying that their storm water fees could exceed $800 per year. Steve Hall, an engineer with FMSM, a company that helped the board limit storm water pollution and meet federal standards, recommended the amendment adopted last night.
Per Hall's suggestion, the board also appointed a committee of residents to consider and make recommendations on what the permanent rates should be. This board includes the three county commissioners and the county surveyor. Hall also advised that permanent rates, once established, have a clear relationship to impervious surface areas. Otherwise, he said, the rates might be deemed arbitrary and fail to hold up if challenged in court.
Several people who addressed the board last night, however, said agricultural storm water rates should be set permanently at $39 per year. Bob Geswein, president of the Floyd County Farm Bureau, said that because farms and farm ponds hold and filter storm water, farmers should not be charged more than residents.
Based on the scheduled adopted at last night's meeting, the $39 rate will apply to commercial and agricultural properties for six months, to industrial and institutional sites for nine months and to residential properties for one year. After these set periods, the board will set permanent rates based on advice from the appointed committee.
Source: The Courier-Journal
