Gallatin News
GALLATIN WEATHER

City now billing monthly stormwater fee




A new monthly stormwater utility fee is expected to generate $1.7 million each year that will be used to fund various projects aimed at reducing flooding across Gallatin. SUBMITTED

A new monthly stormwater utility fee is expected to generate $1.7 million each year that will be used to fund various projects aimed at reducing flooding across Gallatin. SUBMITTED

Gallatin has started collected a monthly stormwater fee from all property owners located inside the city limits, which officials say will provide much-needed funding for various drainage improvement projects aimed at reducing flooding.

The new monthly charge, which affects all of the approximately 18,000 properties in Gallatin, was added to Gallatin Public Utility bills this month.

“For years now, Gallatin has funded (drainage improvement projects) as best we can through the general fund, but as regulations get tighter from the state, we can’t keep funding them that way,” Gallatin Stormwater Utility Manager Lance Wagner said. “For us to continue to grow and develop and meet those requirements we have to have this fee.”

City officials estimate the new fee will generate approximately $1.7 million annually, which will go directly into a dedicated fund that can only be used to deal with stormwater and flooding issues. State law allows for cities to charge a user fee in order to maintain a drainage system that complies with the federal Water Quality Act of 1977.

The monthly rate for residential properties in the city varies between $3, $5 and $9 depending on the total square footage of the impervious surfaces they have like rooftops and driveways that do not allow water to absorb into the ground. Multifamily residences like duplexes and apartments are charged less at $2 per month.

Commercial properties are charged $5 for every 3,650 sq. ft. of total impervious surface area with the average business expected to pay approximately $25 each month, according to city engineering officials.

Money collected be used to eventually fund two dedicated stormwater crews to help with various maintenance projects as well as the development of maps that show exactly which way water flows in areas across the city, according to Jennifer Watson, stormwater coordinator for Gallatin.

The fee will also help fund various proposed drainage improvement projects including work along Anthony Street and Belvedere Drive. The United States Army Corps of Engineers has also recommended the construction of a detention structure near the entrance of Triple Creek Park that would flood four baseball fields during significant rain events in an effort to help reduce flooding along Town Creek near downtown.

“The City of Gallatin is over 200 years old now and we’ve got aging infrastructure from that time to now and we’ve never had routine maintenance,” Watson said. “The May 2010 floods were a problem, but the August ones were worse. At that time, the city council said we needed to do something about the flooding problems that we keep getting calls and complaints about.”

According to data provided by the city’s engineering department, Sumner County government will pay the most in stormwater utility fees each year for its properties with an estimated annual bill of $78,753 followed by the City of Gallatin and Sumner County Schools each just shy of $70,000.

The city has developed a fee credit and adjustment manual that allows property owners the ability to reduce their monthly bills through several approved ways including the implementation of educational programs, rain gardens and stormwater facility improvements.

Several cities across Sumner County have already implemented similar stormwater utility programs including Goodlettsville, Hendersonville, Millersville, Portland and White House. The average monthly fee for residential users across the state is approximately $3.92 while the average for Middle Tennessee is $4.27.

For more information about the Gallatin Stormwater Utility visit www.gallatintn.gov/232/Storm-Water or contact the Gallatin Engineering Division at (615) 451-5965.

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