Stormwater fee among other items on Augusta Commission agenda | The Augusta Chronicle

A plan viewed as a source of much-needed flood relief in some areas of Augusta and an unnecessary government fee elsewhere goes before the city commission Tuesday for further approval.

The commission, which approved an initial phase of implementing the stormwater fee last year, will vote on spending $484,453 in Sales Tax 6 funds with consultant AMEC Inc., to advance the fee program, including the development of a rate structure, billing system and public awareness campaign.

The year’s record rainfalls have served as a frequent reminder of inadequate stormwater drainage systems in the urban District 1 represented by Commissioner Bill Fennoy, a proponent of the fee.

“We have a lot of flooding that goes on in Augusta,” he said. “Any time there’s a real big rain we have some communities that have multiple water breaks and they don’t have any drinking water, they don’t have any bathing water.”

While other areas of the city may not experience as severe of flooding, Fennoy said he hoped all would buy into the program and pay the fee, as many pay school taxes even without having children in Richmond County schools.

“I think it’s fair for everybody to participate in it,” he said.

On another side of the stormwater debate is Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle, who likened his mostly rural District 8 to rural parts of Columbia County, which lack storm drainage infrastructure and were exempted when the suburban county implemented a stormwater management program in 2000.

“Columbia County focused on the urban area,” Guilfoyle said. “It’s the only fair and equitable way.”

via Stormwater fee among other items on Augusta Commission agenda | The Augusta Chronicle.