QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NORTHEAST OHIO REGIONAL SEWER DISTRICT
STORM WATER PROGRAM
(Updated January 28, 2013)
1.
Who can I contact at the Village for information about this program?
A.
Contact Melanie A. Baker, Service Director, if you have general questions or want information about the storm water management program of the Northeast
Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD). Mrs. Baker’s telephone number is
(330) 659-9201 ext. 5.
2.
Who can I contact at NEORSD for information about this program?
A.
Information about the program can be obtained at www.neorsd.org/stormwater .
More specifically, for questions about storm water fees for residential properties in Richfield as discussed in Questions 5-10, below, contact Rachel Webb at the
District at (216) 881-6600 ext. 6645 or webbr@neorsd.org
. For questions about storm water fees for commercial properties in Richfield, contact Dave Ritter at
(216) 881-6600 ext. 6435 or ritterd@neorsd.org
.
NEORSD’s storm water program regulations are set forth in Title V of its Code of
Regulations (“Title V”) which can be accessed through the District’s website at www.neorsd.org/news-stormwater-approved-20100107.php
. You can also contact NEORSD’s customer service department at 216-881-8247 or stormwater@neorsd.org.
3.
How does this program impact the Village?
A.
The Village is a member community of NEORSD pursuant to a 1989 Agreement.
As a result, all properties located within the Village are considered to be within
NEORSD’s storm water program service area and are subject to program fees discussed in Questions 5-10 below, regardless of whether they receive sanitary sewer service or not.
4.
Can the Village opt out of the program?
A.
Under a settlement agreement entered into by the Village in the storm water program lawsuit, the Village can withdraw from the storm water program if
Summit County or the Village and the other Summit County communities involved in the litigation (Hudson, Macedonia, Northfield and Sagamore Hills) establish a regional storm water program similar to NEORSD’s program. A withdrawal can take place any time after 5 years from the date of execution of the settlement agreement.
Note: The Village may withdraw from the NEORSD’s territory entirely, so long as any sanitary waste currently being treated by the District is treated by a facility
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not owned or operated by the District. This withdrawal process requires 3 year’s notice of the intent to terminate the Village’s wastewater agreement with the
Village which may not be given until at least 2 years after the date of execution of the settlement agreement. A withdrawal from the sanitary sewer program would automatically withdraw the Village from the storm water program.
5.
What is the storm water fee?
A.
To pay for the program, NEORSD will charge a storm water fee to parcels located in the District’s service area. According to the NEORSD website, the program will cost the average homeowner about $57.00 per year. The residential storm water fee is based upon the amount of impervious surface on the parcel as determined by the District expressed in whole “Equivalent Residential Units”
(ERUs). An impervious surface of 3,000 square feet being equal to one ERU.
Impervious surface includes hard surfaces on your property such as rooftops, driveways, or decks/patios that contribute to increasing storm water runoff.
Small residential parcels are classified as Tier 1 (less than 2,000 square feet of impervious surface). Medium residential parcels are classified as Tier 2 (2,000 to
3,999 square feet of impervious surface). Large residential parcels are classified as Tier 3 (4,000 square feet or more of impervious surface).
A Stormwater Homestead fee is available for persons 65-years of age or older and disabled persons who receive the Homestead Exemption for income tax purposes.
The following chart, found at Title V, Section 5.0708, further describes the residential fee:
2011 2012 2013 2014
Tier 1 0.6 ERU $2.85 $2.97 $3.03 $3.09
Tier 2/Base
Tier 3
Homestead
Educational
1.0 ERU
1.8 ERU
1.0 ERU
$4.75
$8.55
$1.95
$1.95
$4.95
$8.91
$1.99
$1.99
$5.05
$9.09
$2.03
$2.03
$5.15
$9.27
$2.07
$2.07
Economically
Disadvantaged
$1.95 $1.99 $2.03 $2.07 Stormwater
Affordability/Crisis
Voucher Program
Larger non-residential parcels are subject to a declining storm water fee schedule as set forth in Title V, Chapter 7.
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6.
When does billing for the program begin?
A.
Billing will begin in January 2013. Under the settlement agreement, Richfield is bound by the fee schedule in Title V, Chapter 7 through the year 2014. However,
NEORSD has agreed not to raise its fees by more than 5% in the years 2015 through 2021. These rates have not yet been established.
7.
Who is the billing entity?
A.
The storm water fee will be billed on a quarterly basis and collected by NEORSD or its billing agent. Currently, the District’s billing agent is the City of Cleveland
Water Department.
8.
What happens if I don’t pay?
A.
Under Title V, NEORSD may, upon request and investigation, grant an extension of time for payment not to exceed 90 days in cases of indigence, emergency, and similar conditions. Failure to pay will result in the District placing your account in collection status. If you continue to fail to pay, the District may place a lien on the property or take other steps to collect the unpaid fee. See Title V, Sections
5.0717, 5.0718.
9.
Are fee credits available?
A.
Yes. Fee credits are available to property owners upon showing that certain criteria have been meet. For example, a flat 25% fee reduction is available for residential property owners who install storm water control measures, such as rain gardens; have on-site storm water storage (i.e., rain barrels, cisterns); remove 500 square feet or more of impervious surface and replace it with vegetated, pervious surface; or have at least 1,000 square feet of pervious pavement. For more information on storm water fee credits, see the District’s Credit Manual available on its website at www.neorsd.org/stormwaterprogram.php
.
10.
How do I apply for credits?
A.
NEORSD has published a Credit Manual, available on its website, which outlines the credit system, including directions for applying for credits. The Credit
Manual can be found at www.neorsd.org/stormwaterprogram.php
.
The information contained on this page is subject to change over time as the District’s program is fully implemented.
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