March 7, 2020
Mallory Herrmann
citydesk@lstribune.net
The city council’s finance and budget committee will consider funding for a stormwater utility rate study after the public works committee recommended moving forward with it.
The public works committee has been working with city staff to determine how to best address the city’s long-term stormwater problems. They hope that a rate study will help Lee’s Summit create a utility program that would begun generating revenues to cover both outstanding repair costs and ongoing maintenance moving forward.
While Dena Mezger, director of public works, recommended the study, the committee was unable to find a way to pay for it. With an estimated cost of between $400,000 and $450,000, the study was too expensive for the department’s budget.
At the public works committee’s March meeting, Mezger said that it was going to have to come out of the general fund. Noting that the general fund currently has an unallocated balance hovering around 43%, she suggested that up to $450,000 be allocated to the public works department to cover the study. By ordinance, the unallocated balance is not to exceed 17%, meaning that there is some funding available.
“That’s really kind of our last line in this as far as what we can do with it,” Mezger said.
After the study is completed and a utility framework is implemented, revenues generated from the utility would support routine maintenance and inspection, construction of small projects, system repairs, regulatory compliance, and design and project management.
Over the last seven years, the city has spent around $500,000 each year in stormwater operations (excluding any expenses associated with stormwater capital projects funded by the 2007 bond program or CIP sales tax). During the last two years, the city has also begun tracking engineering division expenses related to stormwater, totaling about $91,000 in 2019 and $97,000 in 2018.
“I think that the base need for the study is there and this is a dire situation, I feel,” Councilmember Craig Faith said.
The committee voted unanimously to recommend that the finance and budget committee consider funding the one-time cost of a stormwater utility rate study.
Councilmember Phyllis Edson was absent from the Mar. 2 meeting.
