Stormwater Utility

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One of the services the City of Prairie Village provides is stormwater management. This is accomplished through the construction and maintenance of a stormwater management system comprised of curbs, gutters, inlets, pipes, and drainage channels located both underground and at ground level throughout the City. The City's system includes 66.4 miles of stormwater facilities and 3,773 drainage structures. In order to provide the appropriate level of funding to maintain and operate the stormwater system, the City established a stormwater utility. This approach has been used in cities across the country and in Johnson County including the cities of Mission, Fairway, Overland Park, Lenexa, and Shawnee. The purpose of the stormwater utility is to create a dedicated revenue stream to finance stormwater projects and maintenance based on a fee structure linking the amount of stormwater runoff created by property owners to the amount of money these property owners pay toward upkeep of the system. Unlike the property tax, stormwater utility fees are assessed on all properties, regardless of their taxable status. Fees are based on the square feet of impervious area on a property. A single family residential property is charged a fee based on the footprint of the residence including the garage plus the area of the driveway. Commercial, institutional, and some multi-family properties are charged a fee representing the actual amount of impervious area. In Johnson County, stormwater utility fees range from $0.01 to $0.10 per impervious square foot per year. The Prairie Village stormwater utility fee is $0.040 per square foot of impervious area. Fee revenue must be placed in a separate fund and used only for stormwater management purposes.

Stormwater Utility Fee Credit

On July 20, 2009, the City Council approved the Stormwater Utility Fee Credit Policy [PDF]. There are two types of credit opportunities available. One type is an Education Credit for educational institutions that provide education instruction and training to their students and personnel. The other type of credit is a Best Management Practices (BMP) Credit which is available to property owners who implement practices that reduce the flow of storm waters to the City system.

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