City of Ames, IA This Week in Ames, 30 Nov 2012

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From YouTube: This Week in Ames

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New Stormwater Fees go into effect on January 2012

A

Hi and welcome to this week in Ames I'm Susan gwiazda on today's show we're going to check in the Dames public works department.

A

My guest today is Corey MELAS operations manager for the city of Ames public works department. Corey. Welcome to the show thank.

B

A

Tell us a little bit about what you do: is operations manager and how long you've been with the city and.

B

The public works department, I'm the operations manager, so I oversee all the major maintenance activities. So if streets all the utilities, water storm sewer in sanitary sewer, we also deal in snow removal in cemetery and.

A

You've done a couple of different jobs, the city. This wasn't your original job. When you first came here, no.

B

I originally started in the engineering department I'm a civil engineer and two years ago started as the operations manager so.

A

You've a lot of different specialties, as you talked about one of them, is overseen stormwater and the stormwater utility there's been some changes in the way that the city of Ames is billing now for stormwater, and that process has been along and it's not been improved. Yes,.

B

It started when I was in my old position in the engineering department, but I've stayed with it over the last couple of years and what we're looking at now is going to a more simplified fee structure based on the council directives. Now.

A

Stormwater is one of those utilities. It's a little unusual for people. They don't actually use stormwater in the way you might use your water or electricity, but you still pay for it. Yes,.

B

We still have to maintain the system and we have a large amount of requirements because we're a city, that's called a municipal, separate storm sewer system. Ms4 is what they call it. There has certain requirements about the amount of inspections and the amount of cleaning things like that that we do so there's a cost to kind of maintain the system. That's what the fee is used for storm.

A

Water is becoming more and more talked about, probably because of the damages from runoff, and when you don't have a system, that's maintained some of the property damage that comes with that. What are some of the components of the stormwater utility, the.

B

Storm our utility gets into the regular maintenance activity so whether that's rebuilding intakes or pipes, but there's also things like education and outreach. We do rain gardens and rain barrel rebates things like that to help kind of let people know that there's ways they can reduce the amount of runoff that goes into our system and in.

A

Current and current building standards require developers to be aware of that storm water, runoff and and not add to the not add to the mound. Yes,.

B

The current storm water requirements require that they can't increase the amount that's currently leaving the site. So if it's farmland, they can't increase the amount that leaves the site based on. You know up to a hundred year, storm event, but there still is all the piping and a subdivision, and things like that that the city will ultimately be responsible for so.

A

When you drive into your home or your apartment and those grates that you see on the street, even the street itself is a conveyance mode, the the greenways all the detention basins, all those things, sort of help. That system stop the deterioration and the erosion that goes on correct.

B

They all kind of one part of one larger system, even other several areas where I outfalls. It's not like you know water or the waste water where you have a centralized area, so you might have different watersheds where they drain different areas. But you, you know it's all part of one major system for the city, so.

A

A stormwater utility fee is a fee that everybody pays as part of their contribution to them to that system. Yes,.

B

Currently, if you have a utility account, you pay a flat fee to contribute towards the storm sewer system and.

A

I know the city council directive was that this utility should work similar to other utilities. In that the more you contribute to the system, the more you should pay. Yes,.

B

And so the easiest way to do that is the amount of impervious area which is a hard surface. So your rooftops, concrete, driveways gravel that allows the water to run directly off of that and into you know the street or our system, and so that was the easiest way to kind of base. The fees on was the amount of pervious, because that would relate to the amount of runoff. So.

A

Some people say well: gravel, isn't hard surface gravel. Would let water penetrate right, usually.

B

Not usually gravel becomes so packed in over the years that it's more equivalent to concrete than grass. So that's why we consider it impervious because it will, you know over time will become. You know just pack down and become hard. um You know and then so the water runs off much like concrete, okay,.

A

So you mentioned in rooftops: decks patios sheds all those surfaces, yep.

B

Yep and the way we did it is we use our geographic information system. We call it a GIS that when they map the city did aerial photography, they actually mapped all the impervious areas, so streets, sidewalks buildings, anything that was over 150 square feet. So that's how we kind of based each parcel now.

A

You and I had this conversation before when we first talked about impervious surface and determining each resonance or each property owners stormwater fee. Now that original system that was developed was modified recently, yes,.

B

We originally looked at more just we call it an ERU system which basically stood for your average amount on a residential property. Then you use that to calculate impervious area. It would just kind of took the numbers and made him a little smaller. But after getting feedback from the citizens, council decided that maybe it was too drastic of a change and too complicated with all the changes that we were going to require, and there was a shifting of revenues.

B

So they asked us to come back with a simplified system that still took and previous into account, but was simpler for people to understand, but still based it on impervious. So.

A

What does the new system look like for stormwater utility billing we're.

B

Calling it a tier system, and so what we did is we took the impervious per parcel and the accounts on the parcel and kind of gave each account an amount of impervious and then use that to kind of divide it into four tiers. And then those tears will have an Associated flat fee to the account. So it will be much like the same system, but your larger impervious people will pay more per account than your average residential. Well.

A

The concern with your with the flat fee system that we currently use was that somebody say who owns a parking lot would pay the same as somebody who owns a home and the movement was towards a more fair and equitable system. Now, with the tier system. What's the range in monthly fees for the tears most.

B

Of most of the properties in the city fall under tier 1, because most of our properties are residential, smaller, but you had the larger industrial users. Your larger commercial properties will pay more than your average residential oak.

A

Or that's been a long time in the works and obviously, as we talked about it's gone through modifications reflecting the input that this isn't customers provided. When can we expect those new rates to take effect? We're.

B

Hoping to take the ordinance back soon so we'll have to work and see. If council has any changes to the ordinance, if they don't we'd expect early next year that it would take effect and people would start paying will be. Having a map on the website like we did for the previous system and will be mailing. Some of the most impacted properties and.

A

That map was really helpful, so you could go into the map and enter an address, and it would tell you again: what's your what new terrier in and what's your new monthly.

B

The new maps actually color-coded, so if you're curious about other properties to the larger industrial, you can look those up too, but if you just type in your address and hit search, it'll take you to your property. So you can see what your new bill will be. That's.

A

Great well another part of what you do each and every day, and hopefully not too much this winter is snow removal. That's always a big issue with Ames residents.

A

Keeping this the streets, snow and safe and snow free are always important. What are some things that residents can do to help you as you get into snow shoveling season this year, I.

B

Think one of the things that helps us the most is make sure if you look if you're on a snow route, the red and white signs- and you can also get on the city website and that look for our snow information on the public works page that if you're on one of those routes make sure you get off if the snore and it's as an effect, so you don't get towed and that we obviously do that because those are our major routes. So we want to make sure they're clear from curb to curb and.

A

Putting this Norman sin effect is something we try to make very visible and very public. The students is only in effect when what is it two inches? Yes,.

B

When we have two inches or more on our arterial streets, and so usually, what I will put it into a place in advance with a time to let people give them.

A

We want that on the website we put it out on channel 12, obviously isn't the place to get it. We put on our feet book page lots of different media outlets. Carry that information. If it's a snow flurry if it's a half inch of snow or less and you're on the snow route. Really you don't have a worry, but yes, it's accumulates and you get to that two inch mark.

B

If we're forecasting you know, and we think we're going to get it, but we don't say we, you know it's only flurries that no, we want to tell I'm. We only tell when it's actually over that two-inch amount and it's in effect, so right.

A

And that's a really another good point that, if you're on a snow route and we need to get the plows through those streets, that your car could be ticketed and towed. Yes,.

B

So that's why it helps everybody if you know, if you're on one of those routes to get off and park, someplace else now.

A

If you're not under snow route, why is it helpful to move your car? It's.

B

Just easier for us to plow, they can obviously do it faster because they don't have to move around and we don't have to go back and clean up a lot of times, you'll see if the cars there and we plow. You know you leave kind of a small amount of snow in the street and the car moves the next day and then we have to go back and either clean it up or eventually becomes kind of just ice pack.

B

So if people get off the street, we can go curb the curb and clean it better and faster. Okay.

A

And when can you park back on the street, it.

B

Would be when it is a stopped snowing and it's plowed curb to curb yeah.

A

And that curb to curb is important to remember because a lot of times the plow will do one side and then it'll come back into the other and you don't want to slip in there while they're still working. Yes,.

B

And on major routes, they'll plow continuously, so just because you seem to go past once if it's still snowing they're going to come back through. So it's definitely you know, watch the forecast and no one. It stops snowing. Well.

A

As property owners, what do you need to be aware of with your sidewalks? We.

B

Require sidewalks to be clear of snow and ice 10 daylight hours after the snow has stopped, and after that time, if we receive a complaint, we will investigate and let the people know that they need to clear their sidewalk. If it's not done within 24 hours, then we will contract it out and charge that to the property owner a lot.

A

Of people still are active in the winter, and those sidewalks become an important transportation route for pedestrians for getting to school or work or whatever. So, along with that she'll at your driveway, you really need to rake make sure you get that Sidewalk cleared as well. Yes,.

B

And with aims being such a high pedestrian use city with Iowa State, it's very important and there are ways they feed on the city's web page. We do have some emails set up, so you could log snow complaints either by a hotline or an email for sidewalks, and also, if you see something you don't fix right on the streets. We have an email setup for that that you can email us so.

A

If you notice a particularly IC intersection or you think, a street GUP missed, that might be something you would email in yeah.

B

If you want to email, there's also a phone number, so you can call or email either. One works for us to, let us know or social media is a great way to. Let us know too absolutely.

A

Well course sounds like you're very busy, as always thank you for coming by alright.

B

Thank you well,.

A

If you're looking for an interesting holiday gift this season, why not get discounted tickets in the furman aquatic center you can buy? Those discounted season passes beginning on Saturday December. First, at the Ames community center you'll get ten percent off for early purchase and twenty percent off. If it's and renewal and don't forget your four-legged friends, this holiday season, you can get discounted dog tags to the Ames dog park, starting December first as well. That discount is ten percent for early purchase. Well, that's our show for today, thanks for watching and tune in next week.

A

For this weekend, AIDS.

A