LOCAL

Collier County to consider new utility fee

Greg Stanley
greg.stanley@naplesnews.com; 239-263-4738
An SUV drives through flooding on Goodland Road in Goodland on June 6, 2016, that was caused by heavy rain as a result of Tropical Storm Colin.

Collier County commissioners are considering charging home and business owners under a new utility for the amount of rain and stormwater runoff generated on a property.

The money would be used to help replace aging stormwater pipes, pumps and other equipment that date back to the 1950s in some of the county's older neighborhoods such as Golden Gate and Naples Park, said David Wilkison, head of the county's growth management department.

A 12- to 18-month study is underway to determine the exact costs for home and business owners. Once the study is complete, Collier commissioners would have to approve the utility.

The 13 counties in Florida with stormwater utilities typically charge homeowners based on the amount of square footage they have paved over for a home, driveway, garage and anything else that pushes rainwater into the public stormwater system that normally would have seeped into the ground. Annual charges for a homeowner range from $57 a year in Pasco County to $271 in Pinellas County. The city of Naples has run a stormwater utility for years and charges $157 annually.

The county currently funds its stormwater system with money from its general tax pool, setting aside about $5 million to $6 million each year. The new utility wouldn't necessarily increase the amount of money available for the stormwater system, but it would provide a steady and more reliable stream that comes directly from users, Wilkison said.

"We'd rather have a stable, identified source," he said. "It will make it easier to plan ahead. The way it is right now, commissioners have the discretion to fund the system in any way. This will make it a little more sustainable and stable and directly tied to use."

The county is in the process of replacing 50- and 60-year-old stormwater systems in Naples Park and Golden Gate.

"We've got challenges here maintaining the infrastructure we have," Wilkison said. "Like everything, these things have a certain life, and past that life they have to be rehabbed."

The earliest residents would start seeing bills is in the winter of 2018, according to the county estimates. If the stormwater utility is created, it would free up the money normally spent on the stormwater system to be spent elsewhere.

The decision to implement the utility will ultimately be up to a new commission, with three new commissioners set to join the board after the November election.

"This study and analysis will help the new board decide," said outgoing Commissioner Tim Nance.

"I think we need dedicated sources for infrastructure, because it just doesn’t exist right now. It is going to take money to make our complicated water restoration efforts occur. One of the problems is that with all the other water quality issues in the state, we have to compete with places like Okeechobee for limited federal dollars. We need to take care of what we can from our end."