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Stormwater Utility Fee Billing & Payment

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1. What gives the Town the authority to charge me the stormwater fee?

In response to citizens' appeals to the Town to assist with the financial burden caused by stormwater runoff, the Town Council passed an ordinance (July 1999) creating this utility. The fee is used as an enterprise fund to provide the funding to pay for the services the Town would have to provide to manage the stormwater runoff.

For more information, please view Stormwater Utility Information

2. Does this fee have to be paid by non-profit or governmental entities?

Yes, the fee applies to all properties, just as water and sewer fees apply. It is a fee for service, not a tax.

3. How do residents benefit from this utility?

Many of our subdivisions had to pay through their homeowners association or Metro District for the maintenance of certain drainage facilities. This cost will now go through the Town and will assist those agencies in this responsibility, which was a potentially large liability for homeowners associations. With the Town providing assistance, the cost is spread out more.

4. How was the fee determined?

The fee was calculated after an extensive study was done of the costs of services.

Single Family Residential (sfr) Properties
The fee for these properties is based on the relative amount of impervious area on each property in Parker and will be as follows:

• 2012 - $6.30 per month


• 2013 - $6.41 per month


• 2014 and beyond - Fee will increase annually based on U.S. Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index

Commercial and Non-Residential Properties
For these properties, the fees are calculated as follows:

• Monthly fee = (SFR fee) x (total impervious area of property in square feet) / 4000 square feet.

The annual fee increase was instituted to offset inflation.

5. What is impervious area?

Impervious area is the area that will not allow stormwater to soak into the ground (infiltrate). Paved or hard-packed driveways, buildings, sidewalks and parking lots are all examples of impervious areas.

6. For commercial properties, how was impervious area determined?

The impervious area is outlined and calculated using computer software, aerial photos of the property and existing site plans on file at Town Hall.

7. Why do I have to pay the fee when I have already been required to have on-site detention on my commercial property?

The fee pays for regional facilities and improvements, which benefit all properties in Parker by accommodating runoff in major storm events. It also pays for routine maintenance of eligible drainage facilities, including your on-site detention ponds. Future commercial property owners will also be charged the stormwater utility fee each year, and will be required to implement onsite drainage facilities to ensure property owners downstream are not negatively impacted.

Policy guidelines in the Town of Parker Storm Drainage and Environmental Criteria Manual (SDECM) have been established to determine stormwater facilities that are eligible for Stormwater Utility maintenance assistance. Copies of the SDECM are available upon request at Town Hall.

8. As a commercial property owner, what do I do if I don’t agree with the calculation of the impervious area on the property?

The property owner may send a letter to the Town and request a review of the calculation stating the basis for the dispute. The letter can be emailed, faxed, mailed or brought to the Parker Town Hall at:
Town of Parker
Attn: Stormwater Billing
20120 E. Mainstreet
Parker, CO 80138
Ph: 303.841.0353
Fx: 303.840.9792
Email

Once we have received this letter, we will make a site visit to verify which areas are impervious to verify the amount. If it is wrong, we will correct it and rebill the proper amount. If it is correct, we will provide the documentation to you to show how it was calculated.

9. What if I refuse to pay my bill?

At 30 days past due, we will send a past due notice with a warning that a $25 surcharge will be added to the bill if it is not received within five days of this notice.

At 60 days past due, we will send a second past due notice containing a warning that this is the last past due notice that will be sent, that a $25 surcharge has been added to the bill, and a lien will be placed on your property for the amount due including the $25 surcharge when the bill reaches 90 days past due.

At 90 days past due, a lien will be filed on your property with Douglas County for the amount due plus $25. The fee will then be collected through the property tax system.