Published: July 08, 2009 01:52 pm      

The great rate debate in New Albany

Coffey, Benedetti could go for stormwater rate hike

It’s about dollars.

Money can help solve the stormwater and sewer problems residents in New Albany are encountering, Mayor Doug England said during Monday’s New Albany City Council meeting.

He admitted to the roomful of annoyed residents — many of whom had a few inches of sewage standing in their basements last week — that flooding problems abound.

But he said unless rates increase, there’s not much the city can do about them.

“You want to fix it, but you don’t want to make them pay for it because that’s unpopular,” England told the council.

Sewage and stormwater run through separate lines in New Albany, but they combine for a toll that some residents — especially in the neighborhoods around Klerner Lane — are having to pay.

Last month was the second wettest June on record for New Albany, and the saturation caused flooding that led to sewage backups as ground water mixed into the clay wastewater lines. England said the problems are in front of the council, and it will decide if the issues are dealt with.

Tuesday brought various reactions from council members about the suggestion of increased sewer and stormwater rates, as Monday’s meeting saw votes on other issues that are tied into the sewer rate debate.

New Albany’s sewer system is subsidized by $875,000 of Economic Development Income Tax, or EDIT, funds a year until 2011, when the amount will be reduced to $575,000 a year.

Increased rates could take the $875,000 out of the sewer fund, freeing it for other projects, England said. One such investment could be hiring 10 additional police officers and two crime scene investigation assistants at a cost of $1 million in EDIT funds — a request that was denied on first reading Monday by the council, with members such as Steve Price saying the cost is too much.

While raising sewer rates could free EDIT money, England touted a stormwater rate hike as the way to get needed infrastructure in place to deal with flooding.

Councilwoman Diane McCartin-Benedetti said she’s against a sewer hike until bonds owed by the utility are paid off, likely within two years. But she supports a stormwater boost after witnessing the rash of flooding.

“My personal opinion is we many need to look at the stormwater fees being increased a small portion,” she said. “I think [England] means well, and I think we definitely have to raise money for these [stormwater projects].”

Each household currently pays about $38 a year for stormwater services.

Council President Dan Coffey said a raise may have to be considered for both utilities if a legitimate plan explaining how the additional funding will help the situation can be calculated.

“I don’t know that anytime is a proper time; this is a hard time — there’s no ifs, ands or buts about it,” Coffey said of possible rate hikes. “But we’re maintaining, not getting ahead of the problem.”

He added past sewer violations from the Environmental Protection Agency are why he wants to stay ahead of the curve, as Coffey is worried that without action, more penalties could come.

Utilities Director Brad Kessans listened to the complaints voiced by residents Monday as well as claims that too much development is leading to the problems.

Price said the New Albany Plan Commission could be held liable for the flooding and sewage backups because proper engineering wasn’t done before it approved certain developments near Klerner Lane.

The council has the final say after the plan commission gives approval, but Price said the body doesn’t specialize in engineering and can’t be expected to understand all the circumstances.

Kessans said engineers hired by the city know what they’re doing, but stated there’s more to the puzzle.

“We have to hire some environmentalists. There has to be some environmental way to get that water back into the thirsty ground — into the water table,” he said.

Creeks aren’t designed to take all the runoff water and improvements made by the city can impact residents living downstream from the upgrades, Kessans said.

“We have to eliminate water versus convey it,” he said.

New Albany took back stormwater service from Environmental Management Co. this year, and there are 10 men at the discretion of Street Commissioner Mickey Thompson that can be used for stormwater projects.

Kessans said there is a possibility those workers could be under his management in the future, but added those details have not been finalized.

Coffey believes the city will do a better job than EMC with stormwater service.

“I think we need to give this stormwater board the opportunity to try and solve some of these problems,” he said.



SAME COUNTY, SAME ISSUES

• Flooding issues aren’t reserved just to New Albany, as a Tuesday meeting of the Floyd County Stormwater Board was packed with residents complaining about similar problems. Residents were lined up outside the door waiting to tell their stories, with many of the problems spawning from the Tye Avenue area.

One Tye Avenue resident said she lived on the street for 20 years, but her house was never damaged by a flood until May. When The Tribune first reported on the drainage issues at Tye Avenue in June, county officials said backups in the creek running behind Tye Avenue are part of the problem, but the issue involves private land. The county doesn’t typically clean clogged pipes on private property.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Floyd County Commissioner Mark Seabrook said the amount of water displaced on Tye Avenue during rain events last month couldn’t have come from that street alone. He said research is needed to identify all the causes of the flooding.

“We’re going to have to get some engineers involved,” he said.



SO YOU KNOW

• The city council likely will vote at its July 16 meeting on a measure to make funds available to residents that suffered damage to their homes as a result of sewer line failures. Residents also can file tort claims against the city to attempt to recover losses.