JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The city of Jamestown has implemented a Stormwater Utility fee and will be informing residents in the coming days.
In previous meetings, the city Public Works Committee learned that up to $500,000 was being accrued from use of the city’s stormwater system. The city approved a fee that would be used for maintenance of that system.
Since 2015, the city has been investigating the potential of a Stormwater Utility.
“The fee is based on the total property area and the amount of impervious area on a property that prevents rainfall or snowmelt from soaking into the ground,” the city states. “The fee for each property is determined by the size of the property and the amount of impervious area that causes stormwater to run off rather than soaking into the ground.”
Previously, the city stormwater initiatives were mainly funded through the operating budgets of the Water, Sanitary Sewer, and Street Departments. Some properties are tax-exempt, so charging a fee to all property owners is more equitable than funding maintenance with property taxes.
The fee for residential properties will be $3 per month and more for larger businesses and properties. The fee will be implemented sometime this summer and will appear on the City of Jamestown’s monthly utility bills.
You can read the letter being sent to all residents as well as the fact sheet below.