Salem Lakes eyeing increase in storm water utility fee

The Salem Lakes Village Board is considering an increase in its storm water utility fee.

The consideration comes as the village also is expected to update its Storm Water Management Plan. The plan is designed to span 10 years.

At a committee of the whole meeting last Monday, the board heard a presentation on the plan from Len Roecker, the village’s consulting engineer from raSmith.

The plan includes seven priority drainage projects totaling about $3.9 million in estimated costs:

Most of the priority projects are in older residential areas, Murdock said. Newer subdivision have more features to deal with storm water built in.

Total cost of paying for those projects and operation of the utility district is about $9.8 million over the 10-year planning window, Roecker said.

Increasing the fee would help revenue meet that expenditure. Roecker said there are several options, but village administrator Mike Murdock said staff is planning to propose a 3 percent increase. The current fee is $80 per year per residential unit.

Adopting the plan and considering a new fee are both on the agenda of the regular board meeting Monday.

Ultimately, decisions may have to be made on what projects can be done or to what extent they can be done, Roecker said.

“You do what you can with the revenues you have,” Roecker said.

The full draft storm water management plan can be read here.

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