City Council resurrected Coeur d’Alene’s stormwater utility, allowing the city to once again collect fees to provide drainage services to property owners. Council opted for minimal user fees. Residents served by pipes will pay $4.13 a month and those who rely on swales for drainage will pay $3.76 a month. The city stopped collecting fees in 2011 while it evaluated the service and reviewed a legal challenge of Lewiston’s stormwater utility, which was similar to Coeur d’Alene’s. A primary function of a stormwater program is that the utility, for a fee, takes on the individual property owners’ responsibility for stormwater and regulatory compliance. Stormwater must meet federal, state, and local regulations. The fee, effective immediately, only applies to property owners that use the utility. Those who handle their own drainage on their property will not be charged/Christina Lyman, Coeur d'Alene Today. More council actions here.

Question: Do you mind paying a stormwater utility fee?