Loading...
sr-072809-9ac7_~ ~;~yo, City Council Report Santa Monicaa City Council Meeting: July 28, 2009 Agenda Item: ~®'~' To: Mayor and City Council From: Dean Kubani, Director, Office of Sustainability and the Environment Subject: Public Hearing and Approval of the Stormwater Parcel Report and Stormwater Management User Fee for Fiscal Year 2009-10 Recommended Action Staff recommends that the City Council approve the 2009 Stormwater Parcel Reports pursuant to the California Health and Safety Code, and Stormwater Management User Fee for Fiscal Year 2009-10. 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 taken this action annually beginning in 1995. The Stormwater Management User Fee and the Clean Beaches and Oceans Parcel Tax generate approximately $3.9 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. 1 Background Stormwater Management User Fee In July 1995, City Council adopted an ordinance establishing the Stormwater Enterprise Fund, which includes Stormwater Management User Fee proceeds that fund 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 ~ was passed by 6Z% 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 2 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 Ahgeles 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 these reports to the Los Angeles County Auditor- Controller's Office by August 10, 2009, for inclusion on the 2009-10 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 11, 18 and 25, 2009. The 2009-10 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 2009..-10 Stormwater Parcel Fee is $36 per PBU, which is the same as the current year's rate. The proposed 2009-10 Special Tax is $87.86 per BT, which is the same rate as the previous year. The initial basic tax was $84 per BT, however, as per the ordinance it can rise annually by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The proposed 2009-10 will have no increase as the CPI did not rise last fiscal year. Financial Impacts & Budget Actions The total revenue estimate from the proposed fees for Fiscal Year 2009-10 is approximately $1.2 million to the Stormwater Management Fund and $2.7 million to the 3 Clean Beaches and Ocean Parcel Tax Fund for a total of $3.9 million. The revenues are included in the Adopted Budget. Prepared by: Neal Shapiro, Watershed Management Coordinator Approved: Forwarded to Council: ~,~,~. Dean Kubani, Director l./ P,Xarrfont Ewell Office of Sustainability and the i '(Manager Environment Attachment: Stormwater Parcel Reports (A hardcopy of the documents are available for public review ih the City Clerks' office and all City libraries and can be viewed on the City's website at www01.smgov.net/cityclerk/council/agendas/ ) 4 Clean Beaches and Ocean Parcel Tax Fund for a total of $3.9 million. The revenues are included in the Adopted Budget. Prepared by: Neal Shapiro, Watershed Management Coordinator Approved: Forwarded to Council: Dean Kubani, Director ~/ P; Ca~ont Ewell Office of Sustainability and the i anager Environment Attachment: Stormwater Parcel Reports (A hardcopy of the documents are available for public review in the City Clerks' office and all City libraries) 4 Additional documents available in City Clerk's Office.