Arlington Heights has new fee to pay for flood fixes
As soon as October, Arlington Heights water and sewer bills will include a new stormwater utility fee to help fund flood control projects throughout town.
The village board on Monday approved the new $6.25-per-month fee for single family homes, nonprofits, government entities and small businesses with up to 40,000 square feet per billed meter. Larger businesses will have higher fees in four tiers, depending on land size and number of meters, ranging from $12.50 per month to $31.25 per month.
The village expects to collect $1.63 million annually from the estimated 21,000 water meters in town, enough to cover planned infrastructure projects over the next five years and current stormwater control efforts.
“I think it's a reasonable approach to begin talking about these things and getting something going to help us get through some difficulties,” said Trustee Jim Tinaglia. “It's been clear to me through the past five years of being a part of this board that one of the number one issues in our town is stormwater management, and everyone seems to care. This is something I think needs to be done.”
Trustees first discussed the new fee in March, when they reviewed recommendations from village staff members who have been studying ways to reduce flooding since a July 2011 storm.
The new fee will help pay for infrastructure work proposed to help reduce flooding, including construction of a Cypress Street detention basin, relief sewers in the Campbell Street/Sigwalt Street/Vail Avenue area, and improvements in the Greenbrier/Roanoke Drive/Wilke Road area.
Officials say the fee also will help provide a long-term funding source for a program that provides residents new or improved access to village storm sewers, and a program that analyzes the condition of storm sewers.
The fee also will help pay for the village's contribution to a program that reimburses residents a portion of the cost to install overhead sewers in their homes.
Since 2014, the village has relied on $4.2 million worth of transfers from other funds to pay for some stormwater control programs.