Title
Ordinance No. 22-70 Certifying Delinquent Stormwater Fees and Charges to the El Paso County Treasurer for Collection
Presenter:
Richard Mulledy, P.E., Stormwater Enterprise Manager
Body
Summary:
The stormwater service fee benefits all of the citizens of Colorado Springs and provides sustainable funding to address capital infrastructure needs, maintenance of the public stormwater system, and regulatory compliance of the City's MS4 Permit, the Federal Clean Water Act, and the 2021 Federal Consent Decree.
The voter-approved stormwater service fees went into effect July 1, 2018. The Stormwater Enterprise has been billing property owners by sending monthly notices of current and past due fees for approximately four years. Of those property owners billed through the City, 97% of property owners have paid their fees. For those property owners who have not paid their fees, the Stormwater Enterprise will pursue the collection of unpaid fees per City Code Section 14.8.109 (D) and in accordance with the Stormwater Enterprise Billing Rules and Customer Procedures.
City Code Section 14.8.109 (D) states that nonpayment of stormwater fees creates a priority lien upon the property to which the fee is associated. The Stormwater Enterprise will initiate lien proceedings for any customer having past due invoices at or exceeding $200 and which are 90 days or more past due. The Stormwater Enterprise is requesting City Council pass the proposed ordinance to certify the delinquent fees to the El Paso County Treasurer for collection.
Background:
The City of Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU), and Pueblo County signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement April 28, 2016, committing spending for stormwater infrastructure, operations, maintenance, and MS4 compliance programs in the amount of $460 million over the next two decades to improve the City's stormwater system.
On November 7, 2017, the citizens of Colorado Springs passed Ballot Initiative 2A a...
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