Planning commission weighs in on stormwater proposal

For the cost of a hamburger a month, residents of Carson Valley can have the security of a stormwater master plan to manage flooding, Douglas County Engineer Mahmood Azad told planning commissioners on Tuesday, while heavy rain pounded the pavement outside.

For $2.50 to $4 a month per affected property owner, or $30 to $48 a year, the county could establish a stormwater utility that would implement and oversee a master plan and capital improvements budget for the Valley's countless ditches, culverts and drainage areas.

County officials and project partner Manhard Consulting have been making the case that a utility would be the most equitable and sustainable way to fund the program, better than bonds or a general fund allocation.

"If the stormwater plan is not funded, then it's worthless," Azad said.

But planning commissioner Kevin Servatius said residents will not be happy with a new bill, even a small one.

"Residents think their property taxes should embrace stormwater management," he said. "The citizenry will not be happy about spending even $48 in these economic times."

Azad acknowledged the challenge of getting residents on board. He said the problem with a normal general fund allocation is that it can be siphoned off or diverted to other items, while a new property tax would require voter approval and a separate legal district. The more equitable option, he argued, would be a user-based utility, which requires approval of county commissioners.

"It's a fee," he said. "It would be no different than water or sewer."

Planning commission chair Margaret Pross asked about the gap between $2.50 a month and $4 a month. Azad said the latter charge is a starting point for the worst-case scenario, and that he and staff will be working backwards to bring down the cost. He said Manhard Consulting has already brought the rate closer to $3 a month.

"The worst-case scenario is two back-to-back 100-year floods in 48 hours," he said.

Following an annual billing cycle, the proposed rates would be based on a property's total square footage that prevents infiltration of water, including rooftops, concrete and pavement. That total area would be divided by the size of a standard home, or an equivalent residential unit.

For example, Azad said, an old barn with a leaky roof and dirt floor would be exempt from the charges because the structure absorbs water and doesn't contribute to run-off. A 3,000-square-foot house with hard surfaces, on the other hand, may count as one residential unit, while a 9,000-square-foot commercial building may count as three. By the same standard, a small, 1,500-square-foot home may only constitute half a unit.

There would also be credits for property owners who help mitigate stormwater run-off or help improve water quality, as well as adjustments based on other factors. Agricultural land that provides active floodplain storage and public roadways would be exempt from the charges.

Azad said the user-fees in part would fund a superintendent and part-time grant writer. The former would oversee daily operations, and the latter would secure funding from outside sources, such as matching grants from the Nevada Department of Transportation, which could be used to improve water conveyances under Highway 395 and Highway 88.

Azad pointed to a number he'd written on a chalkboard - $1.6 billion. That, he said, is the amount of money needed to correct stormwater flow in the Truckee Meadows floodplain. He said after that initial amount, Truckee Meadows would require an additional $16 million a year for operation and maintenance.

"If we're going to go out and build on the floodplain, we better have that kind of money," he said. "We've gone a long way with open space and maintaining the floodplain."

In contrast to Truckee Meadows, Azad said Douglas County would need about $1 million a year to maintain an adequate stormwater system. He expects to present a proposal to county commissioners in late spring, with an eye toward implementation of the first of three phases in June.

The engineer's hour-long presentation to the planning commission can be viewed on local access channel 16 at 7 p.m. Monday, and again the same time Oct. 26.