SR-072308-9Ac'7®
;,Y o, City Council Report
Santa Honica
City Council Meeting: July 23, 2008
Agenda Item: ~ ° '~"
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Dean Kubani, Manager, Office of Sustainability and the Environment
Subject: Public Hearing and Approval of the Stormwater Parcel Report and
Stormwater Management User Fee for Fiscal Year 2008-09
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the 2008 Stormwater Parcel Reports
pursuant to the California Health and Safety Code.
Executive Summary
Each year, the City of Santa Monica produces two stormwater parcel fee reports listing
each property and the amount of the stormwater fees to be paid by each property
owner. This information must be submitted by August 10 of each year to the County of
Los Angeles Tax Assessor so that these fees can be incorporated into the County
parcel tax bill, enabling the City to receive its stormwater fees in the coming fiscal year.
These fees support the City's Urban Runoff Management Program. The Council has
takeri this action annually beginning in 1995.
The fees generate approximately $3.6 million annually, which are critical to the City's
ongoing urban runoff management program and enable the City to meet the many
Federal and State water quality regulations, as well as support the City's Watershed
Management Plan and the Sustainable City Plan. No budget impacts are associated
with taking this recommended action.
Background
Stormwater Enterprise Fund
In July 1995, City Council adopted an ordinance establishing the Stormwater Enterprise-
Fund, which includes Stormwater Management User Fee proceeds that fund
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stormwater management activities. The Los .Angeles County Tax Auditor-Controller's
Office is responsible for the collection of the annual fee, which is then forwarded to the
City.
The stormwater management program consists of (1) periodic upgrades to the storm
drain system, (2) enforcement of local, State and Federal stormwater regulations, such
as the City's Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Ordinance (SMMC 7.10) and the Los
Angeles County National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, (3)
the implementation of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Plan, and (4) a variety of cost-
effective programs, such as Best Management Practices (BMPs), aimed at reducing the
volume and pollutant load of urban runoff flowing into Santa Monica Bay.
Clean Beaches and Ocean Parcel Tax
The Clean Beaches and Ocean Parcel Tax (Measure V) was passed by 67% of Santa
Monica voters in November 2006 for the purpose of implementing the City's Watershed
Management Plan (Plan).. The goals of the Plan are to reduce urban runoff pollution;
reduce urban flooding; increase water reuse and conservation; increase recreational
opportunities and open. space; and increase wildlife and .marine .habitat. Revenues
generated by Measure V can be used for operations and maintenance costs related to
storm drainage systems, and multipurpose capital improvement projects that improve
the quality of urban runoff, as well as paying for any indebtedness incurred for these
purposes. The urban runoff management and pollution. prevention activities of the Plan
will assist the City in complying with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permit requirements, meeting the goals of the Clean Water Act, and
new regulations promulgated by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board
relating to Total Maximum Daily Loadings.
Discussion
The stormwater Parcel Reports list all privately-owned parcels with their associated
fees. The City must submit this report to the Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller's
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Office by August 10, 2008, for inclusion on the 2008-09 tax rolls. A public hearing and
Council approval are required prior to submittal for billing. Notification regarding a
public hearing was published in the Santa Monica Daily Press on July 5, 12 and 19,
2008: The 2008-09 Parcel Report is also available for public review at the City Clerk's
Office and City libraries.
The Stormwater Parcel Reports are based on the most .accurate parcel database
available for calculating the number of Parcel Billing Units (PBU), used for the
Stormwater Enterprise Fund fee, and the- Basic Tax (BT), used for the Clean Beaches
and Ocean Fund fee. The number of PBUs and the BTs are calculated based on land
use, runoff factor and parcel size, which are directly proportional to the amount of runoff
generated by a given parcel. The proposed 2008-09 Stormwater Parcel Fee is $36 per
PBU, which is the same as the current year's rate. The proposed 2008-09 Special Tax
is $87.86 per BT, which is increased over the current year's rate of $84 per BT because
of the ordinance's allowance for a CPI annual increase (4.6% for this calendar year).
Budget/Financial Impact
The .total revenue estimate- from the proposed fees for Fiscal Year 2008-09 is
approximately $1.2 million to`the Stormwater Management Fund and $2.4 million to the
Clean Beaches and Ocean Parcel Tax Fund for a total of $3.6 million. No action is
required as the revenues are included in the Adopted Budget.
Prepared by: Neal Shapiro, Urban Runoff Management Coordinator
roved:
Forwarded to Council:
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Dean Kubani, Manager a ont Ewell
Office of Sustainability and the Ci anager
Environment
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Attachment: Stormwater Parcel Report
(A hardcopy of the document is available for public review in the City
Clerks' office and all City libraries)
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