Stormwater Management Utility Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Residential Questions

Non-Residential Questions

General Questions

Q. What kind of municipal services will be funded?

ANSWER: Some of the items that may be funded by the revenue generated by the stormwater utility include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

• Costs associated with the Best Management Practice (BMP) measures outlined in the Stormwater Management  Plan.

• Increased maintenance/repair of Barberton’s stormwater system.

• Construction of replacement or new stormwater projects.

• Maintain collection and disposal of debris from street sweeping and leaf pick-up.  

• Field inspection and enforcement of Barberton stormwater design standards and regulations.

• The purchase of specialized equipment necessary for storm sewer maintenance.

• Recycling and clean-up programs.

• Community information, education, and involvement in Stormwater Management.

 

 Q. Who do I call if I have additional questions about the stormwater utility or how my fee was calculated?

ANSWER: Call the Stormwater Utility Manager, Alan Keltyka at (330) 861-7299 or send him an email at akeltyka@cityofbarberton.com.

Residential Questions

Q. What are the residential utility fees based on ?

ANSWER: All stormwater utility fees are based upon an EQUIVALENT RESIDENTIAL UNIT (ERU). All residential properties are charged the base fee of one ERU at $5.00 per month.

Q. What is an ERU?

ANSWER: ERU stands for Equivalent Residential Unit. ERU means the amount of storm water runoff from an average single family Residential Developed Property (established by this ordinance to be 0.199 acre or 8,668 square feet) located within the City multiplied by the Residential Runoff Rate.

Non-Residential Questions

Q. What are non-residential stormwater utility fees based on?

ANSWER: The basis of the non-residential stormwater utility fee is the amount of impremeable or hard surface area on a site.

Q. How are ERUs calculated for other developed non-residential property?

ANSWER: The minimum utility fee for any developed property is never less than one ERU. The ERU will be rounded to the nearest ERU.  For Non-residential Property:  Number of ERUs to be calculated by dividing the impermeable area of the property by 0.199 acres and multiplying the result by the property’s runoff rate divided by the residential runoff rate.  The maximum number of ERUs shall be the average number of ERUs for each land use code as established by the County Auditor.

For example, if a developed (non-residential) property has 0.341 acres the property will be charged 3 ERU’s (0.341/0.199X0.80/0.40=3.4).

Therefore, the total stormwater utility charged to this property would be $15.00

(3.0 ERU * $5.00/ERU = $15.00).

Properties that have established a Stormwater Management Program may request a reduction in their monthly stormwater fee. A Stormwater Management Program can include detention or retention ponds, permeable pavements, rain gardens, bio-swales or other accepted Stormwater Management tools.