The fees being considered range from $3 a month for a residential property to between $10 and $200 a month, depending on square-footage totals, for developed properties.
The fee system is something the city has tried to avoid for “as long as possible,” said City Manager Sam Listi on Monday.
He said in recent years the city has used bond issues and money from its budget to address drainage issues, but that is not longer possible because of stricter standards by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that must be complied to by Feb. 11.
The standards essentially require cities to take a more critical look at water drainage and develop drainage systems that slow water down and allow it to seep into the ground or be cleaned by grass blades before it reaches streams. Many traditional water drainage systems have been designed to help the water get to the channel as quickly as possible.
The TCEQ is mandating that Belton, as well as other cities, secure a TCEQ drainage permit that will allow the city to legally do what it already does, convey water to receiving streams.
To secure the permit cities must develop five-year drainage plans.
Listi said the drainage plan and developments that follow it are projected to be costly and that the new standards, while they appear to be good, amount to an unfunded state mandate.
“This comes with a price tag that we have to have funding for,” he said. “We’ve tried to develop a budget around what we understood the obligations to be.”
If the ordinance is implemented, it could go into effect as early as Feb. 1.
While drainage fees appear to be on the horizon for Belton, other cities like Temple, Harker Heights and Killeen already have drainage fees.
The public hearing will be part of a city council meeting that begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Harris Community Center.
promer@temple-telegram.com
