Explanation
This legislation authorizes the Director of Public Utilities to enter into contracts with existing suburban sewer contract partners for the purpose of collecting stormwater fees enacted by those entities. The contracts will provide that Columbus will add the suburban stormwater fee onto bills sent to suburban customers, and then Columbus will remit the fee to the originating city or village.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact.
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Utilities to enter into a contract with any city or village that has existing utility contract when that city or village enacts a stormwater fee based on Columbus' existing stormwater system; the contract shall provide that Columbus may collect the city or village fee from existing customers in that village or city and then Columbus will remit the fee collected to the city or village.
Body
WHEREAS, Columbus has sewer contracts with numerous suburban entities; and
WHEREAS, Columbus enacted a stormwater fee applicable to Columbus residents for the purpose of creating a stormwater utility in Columbus to address stormwater issues inside the City; and
WHEREAS, Columbus' stormwater fee is based on calculating impervious surfaces for each customer, with 2,000 square feet being referred to as an Equivalent Residential Unit; and
WHEREAS, sewer bills also require an ERU calculation, since part of the sewer bills include the "Clean River Fee" which is based on ERUs, and thus, Columbus has calculated ERUs for its customers in the suburban communities; and
WHEREAS, it is in Columbus' best interest for all of its suburban partners to have a strong stormwater utility, as stormwater often crosses many boundaries; and
WHEREAS, some of Columbus' suburban partners have expressed interest in having Columbus collect a stormwater fee as part of the existing sewer bill; and
WHEREAS, collecting and remitting this fee will not be any additional expense for Columbus as long as the suburban partners enact a stormwater fee based on the same ERU calculation Columbus already performs; now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. To authorize the Director of Public Utilities to enter into a contract with any city or village if the city or village meets the following conditions. First, that it has an existing sewer contract with Columbus. Second, that it duly enacts a stormwater fee that is based on Columbus' method of calculating ERUs. Third, that it requests Columbus to collect the stormwater fee as part of Columbus' existing billing. The contract will provide that Columbus will remit the fee to the originating city or village.
SECTION 2. That this Ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.