((Flyer Photo/Todd Gill)Fayetteeville – The city is ready to hire new employees and buy devices in order to carry out the city council's fee program in December.
The council members voted 8-0 on Tuesday for the approval of a resolution that created nine new personnel positions and bought the necessary equipment in connection with the program. The measure will also create a new rainwater administration fund in the city budget and approved a loan from the budget of the city's general fund in order to start the program.
In December, the Council declared itself to issue a rainwater fee that will appear on residential and commercial bills from August. The city's staff estimates that the fee will generate more than 3 million US dollars a year to increase projects to reduce floods, to improve water quality and to strengthen the city's rainwater infrastructure.
The city has already placed around 1.5 million US dollars for rainwater projects through its capital improvements and street money annually. In 2019, voters also approved a problem with a drainage bond of $ 15.8 million.
The monthly fee amounts automatically increase by 3%annually, just like the city's water rates now.
The city's employees have declared that the current dollar amounts in the direction of rainwater reduction are not sufficient to address the city's flood problems. The fee applies to residential and commercial properties, which are calculated based on incomplete surface such as roofs, entrances and parking spaces.
The council approved the measure without discussion.
According to the city documents, the city council approved as part of the measurement of the Council should cost around $ 687,210 per year. Positions are: a five -member rainwater crew from the transport department to cope with maintenance and projects; an engineer and rainwater inspector; A GIS analyst; And a high -ranking coordinator for supply buildings.
In addition, the city will only buy more than 1 million US dollars on devices such as vehicles, excavators and track loaders.
Chris Brown, director of Public Works, said that the city is planning to first set a GIS analyst and building coordinator to get the program going. As soon as the income is received from the fee, the city can stop the other positions and repay the money from the general fund, he said. Brown estimated that the fee will generate around $ 300,000 per month in sales.
The loan from the general fund will work more like a credit line that is repaid to a specific schedule, said Brown. The creation of the two new positions and the purchase of the equipment will probably be brought to around 1.1 million US dollars, he said.
From August, prices will be organized on six levels, from 1.69 $ per month for real estate with up to 2,000 square feet of impermeable surface and increasingly in step -by -step properties. The staff said that most residents would fall under one of the first three levels, which would be $ 5.73 per month or less.
Institutions such as the University of Arkansas and the properties in possession are freed from paying the fee. Certain residents are entitled to a credit on the interest rate if they install rainwater reduction measures such as permeable roadways, bioswales or green roofs.
Real estate owners can use an online tool on the city's website to recognize their proposed fee.