Residents learn about stormwater fee change
CRANBERRY TWP — Dozens of township residents — and some from outside the community — turned out Wednesday to learn more about a proposed stormwater management plan and fee.
The plan is being created to address stormwater infrastructure needs and to help meet Department of Environmental Protection and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) requirements.
Officials have said meeting those requirements and addressing infrastructure as it begins to age will require a significant amount of money each year, particularly as the 2023 deadline to meet those requirements inches closer.
Under the proposed plan, a new line item would be placed on the sewer and water bills of single-family residences.
For the first year of the base-rate program, the fee is an estimated $3 per month for a single-family home. The fee increases to an estimated $6 per month in the second year. The fee amount is based on the amount of impervious material on a particular property, with each real-estate parcel paying the charge.
Multifamily residential and nonresidential property owners will pay a fee compared to the average size of a residential parcel. Officials have been meeting with property owners who will see large bills in the coming years.
The program is tentatively set to begin in January.
The plan was rolled out to township supervisors last week, with Wednesday's open house at the township municipal center serving as a way to explain the intricacies to residents and businesses owners.
The first hour of the three-hour open house saw nearly 30 people, with dozens more expected in the after-work rush. Township officials were on hand to explain the program, the fee and give a glimpse at how the stormwater management system works.
According to Jerry Andree, township manager, the conversations were positive Wednesday.
“No one wants to pay more money,” he acknowledged. “But once you explain it to them and show them how (the fee) is being used, they understand.”
Andree said many attendees shared concerns about stormwater issues on their properties, which he said the township cannot address as the issues lie on private property. However, he said discussions about how and when the township could help them were fruitful.The open house also attracted at least a few government officials from neighboring communities.New Sewickley Township Planning Commission members were on hand, seeking tips and information to help guide them through their own stormwater process.Mike Phipps, planning commission secretary, said New Sewickley is about six months behind Cranberry and in the engineering phase to determine what their fee would be. He and Albert Horn, commission chairman, said while their needs are not as large as Cranberry's, they still are expensive.“We're hitting a deadline in three years that we darn well have to be (ready for),” Phipps said of the MS4 requirements.New Sewickley is looking at a 2021 implementation, and both commission members acknowledged they aren't alone. Phipps said Brighton Township, as well as Moon Township in Allegheny County are working on similar plans, and he expects that trend to continue.“I don't see how any township could handle it without having a stormwater fee,” he said. “It is just that expensive.”“Anyone not working on it now, it's only going to get worse if they wait,” Horn added.Andree noted Cranberry Township will be the first municipality in Butler County to implement such a program. He said officials looked at similar plans, particularly on the eastern side of the state, and have made a commitment to addressing issues before they become a bigger concern.“We could do nothing and put our heads in the sand,” he said. “We're taking the responsibility ... to address it.”
