Skip to main content

Tag: stormwater fee increase

Divided Holmes Beach Commission increases stormwater fee 

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – By a 3-2 vote, the Holmes Beach City Commission approved increasing the stormwater assessment rate from $2.95 per 100 square feet of property to $4.45 per 100 square feet.

On June 23, after multiple recent discussions, the commission was asked to vote on the city resolution based on Commissioner Terry Schaefer’s previous proposal to increase the stormwater rate by $1.50. Commissioners Dan Diggins and Steve Oelfke joined Schaefer in supporting the $1.50 increase. Commissioners Jessica Patel and Carol Whitmore opposed the increase. 

The previous $2.95 rate was adopted in 2019 and has not been increased since then. The increased fee will take effect after the 2026-27 fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. The city’s current square-footage-based calculation method applies equally to residential, vacation rental and commercial properties. 

At the $2.95 rate, the owner of a 5,000-square-foot property was assessed a $147.50 annual stormwater fee. At the new $4.45 rate, the owner of a 5,000-square-foot property will be assessed a $222.50 fee, which is a $75 increase.

At the $2.95 rate, the owner of a 7,500-square-foot property was assessed a $221.25 stormwater fee. At the new $4.45 rate, that property owner will be assessed a $333.75 fee, which is a $112.50 increase.

During all of the recent stormwater fee discussions, the commission has expressed unanimous support for changing the fee calculation method to account for the amount of impervious, non-draining surface each property has. A property owner with a greater amount of impervious surfaces and greater lot coverage would pay a higher stormwater fee than a property owner who has more pervious surfaces and more open space that allow for drainage. The commission unanimously agrees that properties that provide less drainage and stormwater retention capacity should pay higher stormwater assessment fees. 

During the June 23 commission meeting, Public Works Director Herb Raybourn said he and his staff would begin working on revised stormwater fee calculation methods early next year and a new calculation method or methods will be presented to the commission before the 2027-28 stormwater fee rate is adopted next summer.     

Patel was elected in November and this was her first time participating in the city’s stormwater fee discussions. 

In early May, Raybourn suggested increasing the fee by 40 cents per 100 square feet each year for the next 10 years to help fund the city’s immediate and long-term drainage and stormwater needs. In late May, after further discussion, Schaefer proposed increasing the rate by $1 or $2 for the coming fiscal year and he later settled on $1.50 as a compromise. 

During the June 23 discussion, Raybourn referenced a memo he provided the commissioners prior to the meeting. The memo provided additional details on the grants already awarded to the city and the additional grants that are currently under review by the grantor agencies. 

According to the memo, $135,000 purchase of a city hall generator will require the city to provide $33,750 and the grantor will provide $101,250. The $2.12 million Resilient Florida Stormwater Improvement project grant requires the city to provide $1.06 million to cover 50% of the applicable project costs. 

The $430,000 Watershed Master Plan grant requires the city to provide $130,000 and the grantor to provide $300,000. The development of a Watershed Master Plan will earn Holmes Beach property owners an additional 5% flood insurance discount to be provided through FEMA’s merit-based Community Rating System program. 

The three awarded grants total $2.55 million, with the city providing $1.19 million and the various grantors providing $1.36 million. 

Raybourn noted that the city must cover the upfront costs for grant-funded projects and then seek reimbursement from grantors, which takes about six months.

Raybourn’s memo listed eight more grant applications that are currently under review. Those potential stormwater projects total $9.67 million and of that the city would have to provide $2.41 million in matching funds.

Raybourn said if the city is awarded a grant but doesn’t have the needed matching funds, the application can be withdrawn and the state and federal grant money becomes available to other municipalities. 

Commission discussion

Schaefer referenced the information Raybourn provided and said maintaining the $2.95 rate would generate about $860,000 in stormwater revenues for the 2026-27 fiscal year. Schaefer said raising the stormwater rate from $2.95 to $4.45 would generate an additional $430,000 in stormwater revenues during the coming fiscal year. 

Commissioner Terry Schaefer proposed the $1.50 increase. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

“That amount is still deficient of a need of approximately $580,000 to qualify for these grants,” Schaefer said. “We’re terribly underfunded. We have been for eight years. We need to do something now. This is middle ground.” 

Whitmore suggested using some of the city’s reserve funds to help pay for stormwater and drainage projects. 

In response, Mayor Judy Titsworth said the current 25% reserve fund recommended for coastal communities is set aside to cover about three months of city expenses in the event of an emergency, disaster or other occurrence that significantly impacts the city’s revenue flow. Titsworth said the city has not historically used reserve funds to address stormwater and drainage needs.

Whitmore said the city could use some of the reserve funds if needed, and she noted Manatee County’s reserve fund is expected to drop from about 20% to about 7% for the coming fiscal year. 

Commissioner Carol Whitmore opposed the stormwater fee increase. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Titsworth also stressed the importance of having the matching funds needed to pursue stormwater grants. She said the city has only been pursuing stormwater grants for the past eight to 10 years. She also said it would be

foolish to not improve the stormwater system in a city that has about $3 billion worth of total property value.  

Commissioner Dan Diggins supported the stormwater fee increase.- Joe Hendricks | Sun

Diggins asked Raybourn if the matching funds needed for the three already awarded grants would be included in the 2026-27 fiscal year budget. Raybourn said they would be. 

Diggins said the grant applications currently under review, but not yet awarded, would require matching funds. 

“It’s needed work. I recommend the execution of this work,” Raybourn said of the additional projects.

Diggins said the fee increase would help the city capture additional grants. 

“These are big projects and there’s few things in this city that affect people in this city more than stormwater and traffic. This is why we need stormwater funding,” Diggins said.  

“We’re only talking $75 a year,” he said of the increase to be experienced by those who own 5,000-square-foot properties.

“We can leverage that into multimillion-dollar (grant) contracts. We’re not talking a whole lot of money here folks. I know it’s easy for me to spend your $75 per year, but relatively speaking, this is a great way to spend money,” Diggins said.

Whitmore said she recently asked Raybourn to calculate the increase she would experience for her 11,761-square-foot property. She said her current stormwater assessment is $347 and her assessment with the $1.50 increase would increase by $177. 

Oelfke, who opposed the increase last year because of the square-footage-based calculation method, said he has faith that city staff and the commission will come up with a calculation method next year that will make it fairer for those whose properties provide more drainage and stormwater retention capacities and more costly for those who don’t. Raybourn said city staff will be looking at different ways of calculating stormwater fees before next year’s stormwater fee discussions begin.

Commissioner Jessica Patel opposed the stormwater fee increase and Commissioner Steve Oelfke supported it. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Oelfke said installing backflow valves, also known as tidal valves, on the outfall pipes that discharge into the canals and other waterways, help prevent high tides and king tides from entering back into the drainage pipes and causing flooding.

Regarding the need to make drainage improvements, Oelfke said, “We need to get moving on it. That’s why I would support moving forward with this resolution.”

Raybourn said most of the older stormwater and drainage pipes installed in Holmes Beach many years ago are 18 inches in diameter, which is considered undersized. He said 18-inch pipes transport and store much less water than the newer 36-inch pipes that move and store significantly more water.

“We’re trying to upsize things as much as possible,” Raybourn said, noting the goal is to install as many 36-inch pipes as financially feasible.

Patel said the vertical infiltration trenches installed in the past might not work well, but the tidal valves installed more recently are working well. She suggested spending the stormwater revenues on tidal valves rather than pursuing grants for projects that may or may not work. She suggested determining how much it would cost to install all the needed tidal valves and then increase the fee accordingly.  

Although she opposed the fee increase, Patel praised Raybourn for all the information and guidance he provided the commission during the recent stormwater fee discussions.

When offered the chance to provide public input on the proposed stormwater fee increase, none of the 13 meeting attendees spoke in favor or opposition to the increase. 

By a 3-2 vote, the commission then approved the $1.50 rate increase.

Related coverage: Bradenton Beach Commission supports raising stormwater fee rate to $8

Anna Maria increases stormwater fees

Anna Maria increases stormwater fees

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – Property owners in the city will see their annual stormwater fees double from $2 per 100 square feet of property to $4 per 100 square feet.

On Aug. 28, city commissioners Chris Arendt, Kathy Morgan and Gary Mc­Mullen voted in favor of the increase. Commissioner Charlie Salem opposed the increase and Commissioner John Lynch was absent with excuse.

Mayor Mark Short proposed the stormwater fee increase on July 24 when presenting the anticipated city revenues for the 2025-26 fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1.

At $2 per 100 square feet, the owner of a 5,000-square-foot property pays a $100 per year stormwater fee; at $4, the property owner pays $200 per year. At $2, the owner of a 10,000-square-foot property pays $200 per year and pays $400 at the $4 rate.

When seeking commission approval for the increase, Short said, “The city has identified well over $15 million in stormwater-related repair work that needs to be done in this city. A lot of that work relates to things that were either damaged or destroyed during the storm (the 2024 hurricanes).”

Short said the $4 rate will double the $328,000 originally projected for 2025-26 stormwater fee revenues to $656,000.

Anna Maria increases stormwater fees
This alley-like stormwater swale allows stormwater to travel over it, and down into it, as part of Anna Maria’s stormwater and drainage system. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

He said the additional revenues would help address the most immedi­ate stormwater and drainage needs, which include making significant repairs to the stormwater and drain­age swales located throughout the city and repairing or replacing the WaStop valves damaged during the 2024 hurricanes. Installed inside drainage pipes, WaStop valves prevent water from flowing back into the pipes that discharge stormwater into canals and other water bodies.

“We have 19 of them and they’re all either broke or need repair. Those two things are mission critical in terms of short-term fixes for this city,” Short said.

Salem questioned the fairness of assessing stormwater fees based on the size of a property rather than the portion of the property that’s covered with structures and other non-permeable items that hinder drainage. He said the owner of property with 10% lot coverage currently pays the same stormwater fee as the owner of a property with 40% lot coverage and there should be better way to assess the impact that has on drainage and stormwater retention.

Anna Maria increases stormwater fees
This infiltration trench along North Shore Drive helps transport stormwater to a nearby drainage grate and outfall pipe. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Salem agrees there’s much work that needs to be done to improve the city’s drainage and stormwater retention capacities, but he questions whether those improvements warrant increasing the stormwater fee when many property owners are still facing hurricane-related financial challenges that include delayed flood insurance reimbursements.

“For those reasons, I’m reluctant to support an increase,” he said.

Short said the city’s stormwater utility fee assessment program was established a long time ago and the city must follow the methodology implemented at that time.

Participating by phone, Arendt asked if there’s a way to remove from the fee calculations the portions of the sandy beachfront properties that extend into the coastal conservation zones and don’t negatively impact drainage.

The beachfront properties at the tip of Bean Point range from 34,000 square feet to 91,000 square feet. At the $2 rate, the owner of a 65,000-square-foot property pays a $1,300 stormwater fee that increases to $2,600 at the $4 rate.

Short said the current methodology doesn’t allow any deductions.

“I do believe there’s a better way, but the city’s hands are tied right now in terms of how this can be done. We can take a look at this in the future. I’m not opposed to that,” Short said.

Arendt doesn’t think it’s fair to base the fee primarily on the amount of a property’s pervious or impervious surfaces because many different factors impact drainage.

“I think that cost should be spread out fairly,” he said.

Participating by phone, City Attor­ney Becky Vose suggested the city hire the Raftelis consulting firm to assist the city in evaluating and potentially altering the current fee calculation methodology.

Morgan said she’s concerned about increasing costs for property owners but she’s more concerned about the potential for more flooding and flood damage if nothing is done.

“We really need to address this problem sooner rather than later,” she said.

“I agree with Commissioner Morgan,” McMullen said. “This is something we can’t kick down the road.”

After noting that flooding occurs during heavy rains and not just during hurricanes and major storms, McMul­len said, “These WaStops are critical.”

WaStops also help prevent flood­ing associated with high tides and king tides.

Short said the fee increase won’t solve the drainage and flooding problems but it’s a step in the right direction. He also said the city received a grant that will pay for a citywide stormwater resiliency study that evaluates how the city can best address future stormwater, drainage and flooding challenges.

Public input

Archer Way resident Kevin Hutchinson said his street floods every time it rains and he attributes that to a previously contracted city engineer who recommended removing a drainage pipe that was 14 inches in diameter and replacing it with two pipes that were 6 inches in diameter. Hutchinson said two catch basins were also eliminated. He said he’s lived there for 30 years and never had a problem with flooding until those changes were made. He said the city engineer later admitted to him and others that removing the pipe was a mistake that would be corrected, but it never was.

Pelican Lane resident Kevin Farrell said building footprints were smaller and there was more permeable land when he moved to the Island in 2011. He said things have changed since then and the city needs to adapt to those changes. He said the stormwater fee is calculated the same for residents who live in smaller homes with more permeable space and better stormwater retention and large vacation rental homes with greater lot coverage and less stormwater retention and drainage capacity.

“It is patently absurd to tax people based on the square footage of their lot,” he said.

North Shore Drive resident Tania Pike said she lives on a large lot with one house and a lot of permeable space. Dur­ing the many years she’s lived there, she’s watched many large lots get divided into 5,000-square-foot lots that then get covered with a 4,000-square-foot home and a large pool.

She doesn’t think it’s fair that the same stormwater rate is applied to her property and one of those proper­ties. She also said drainage solutions in place 10-20 years ago might no longer be the best solutions.

Anna Maria increases stormwater fees
This Anna Maria street was badly flooded the day after Hurricane Milton struck. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Gulf Drive resident Jim Sullivan supports increasing the storm­water fee increase and finding a more equi­table way to calculate the fees later.

“If you don’t do something quickly, what harm is that going to bring down the road?” he said. “This seems to be the best alternative today. These storm drains don’t work. That’s not a good idea; and potentially we’re going to have worse weather than we used to.”

Hardin Avenue resident Jean Murray asked if the city has pursued other ways to raise the money needed for stormwater repairs and improvements.

In response, Short said the total stormwater budget for the new fiscal year is $3.3 million, with $2.6 million of the projected stormwater revenues coming from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, FEMA, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and other sources, with ap­proximately $600,000 coming from stormwater fees generated at the increased rate.

McMullen said pumps and pipes would ultimately provide a better way to address future flooding but that approach is even more expensive. He then made the motion to approve the city resolution that estab­lishes the increased stormwater fee.