For the past nine months, Clark County Public Works’ clean water division has been studying whether the rates charged for its services generate enough revenue. The county council will review the resulting report at an Oct. 1 public hearing. For property owners, the study could mean increases in the annual fees they currently pay.
Staff held a series of listening sessions in September for the public to learn more about the rate study and the proposed changes, as well as offer feedback on which services are most important to residents. The third and final session is 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Salmon Creek Elementary School, 1601 N.E. 129th St., Vancouver.
The rate study was done to ensure the county has the financial resources it needs to support new state and federal mandates, said Devan Rostorfer, manager of the county’s clean water division. The mandates are part of the county’s new Phase I municipal stormwater permit that went into effect Aug. 1, which requires the county implement projects and programs to protect stormwater quality.
“This municipal stormwater permit is the main driver of all the work we do in the clean water division,” Rostorfer said.
She said the clean water division is updating the services it will have to provide from 2025 to 2029 to meet the new requirements.
“The last time stormwater rates were increased was in 2015. Before that, the last time they changed was when they were established back in 2000,” Rostorfer said.
Clark County has the lowest stormwater fees in Western Washington and the lowest fees in Clark County when compared with other municipalities, she added.
The clean water division is responsible for protecting and restoring water quality in the county’s streams, rivers and lakes. This is primarily accomplished through managing stormwater runoff, which is the water that runs off from streets, parking lots and buildings when it rains.
“Stormwater runoff is the No. 1 way that pollution enters local waterways,” Rostorfer said Tuesday.
To manage that runoff, Rostorfer said the county builds, operates and maintains public drainage infrastructure. That infrastructure prevents flooding on roadways and removes pollutants from the water before it can enter a river or lake. The division also collects water quality data, provides education outreach for schools and residents, and offers technical assistance to businesses and homeowners associations on how to take care of stormwater infrastructure, Rostorfer said.
If the costs for labor, materials and services continue to increase and stormwater rates remain flat, the county could find it is unable to meet residents’ needs.
“Essentially, the clean water division has been providing all of its programs over the last 10 years with the same amount of money, even as the world and the county has experienced inflation and the cost to provide services has gone up,” Rostorfer said. “Our rates are significantly behind, which is why we are in a structural deficit.”
Funding for the county’s clean water services is handled somewhat differently than other utilities. Rather than sending out a monthly, quarterly or annual utility bill, the fees are added to a property owner’s annual tax bill. Even though it’s added to the tax statement, Rostorfer said it’s a proportionate fee based on the property type and not a tax.
The fee is only charged to properties in the unincorporated parts of the county. The cities of Vancouver, Ridgefield, Battle Ground, La Center, Camas and Washougal assess and collect stormwater fees for their jurisdictions. Additionally, rates for residential and nonresidential properties are calculated differently.
For example, a single-family home would be charged a single unit rate, which is currently $47 a year. A multifamily property with four apartments would be charged four units or $188 per year.
For nonresidential properties — which includes roads, railroads and some businesses — the rate is assessed based on the amount of impervious surface on the property. This would include buildings, parking lots, sidewalks and gravel roads or driveways.
“For every 3,500 square feet of impervious surface, they are charged the stormwater rate one time. If someone has 7,000 square feet of impervious surface, they would be charged the rate two times compared to someone with 35,000 square feet … they would have 10 units,” Rostorfer said.
There are programs in place to help low-income individuals, seniors and disabled property owners. Additionally, fees greater than $50 can also be paid in two installments.
Staff will present three rate options to the council: mandated services, recommended services and additional services.
Mandated services are those required by state and federal mandates. Recommended services would be “the proactive services that help prevent infrastructure failure and extend the life of infrastructure,” Rostorfer said. Additional services would be services focused on reforesting the county, improving watershed health and salmon recovery.
“They’re not required by law. They’re really the highest level of service we could provide to restore watersheds in Clark County,” she said.
Proposed rates for the mandated services only would be $64.86 per unit, mandated plus recommended services would be $80.84 per unit and all three service levels would be $86.48 per unit.
Clark County has more than $320 million in stormwater infrastructure that includes 2,000 public facilities, 600 bio retention facilities, 500 stormwater ponds and 500 miles of stormwater lines, many requiring inspection and maintenance. Rostorfer said the new rates are needed to keep pace with the work. And while no one likes rate increases, Rostorfer said the new rates are “a smokin’ deal.”
