Click here to subscribe today or Login.
The Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority is facing an estimated $81,000 bill under the new stormwater fee, officials said during a Tuesday meeting.
Margaret Thomas, the authority’s administrative assistant/program manager, told board members the initial billing estimate contained some incorrect measurements, duplicate parcels and properties that are not owned by the authority.
“They’re wildly inaccurate. Let’s just put it that way,” Thomas told the board.
Another issue is the question of whether the authority’s train track is impervious area, she said.
The stormwater fee is based on the amount of nonabsorbent impervious area, or IA, within each parcel. The Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority is overseeing the fee and compliance with a federal pollution reduction mandate on behalf of 32 Wyoming Valley area municipalities.
The sanitary authority has taken the position the tracks are a hard, compacted surface deemed impervious, Thomas said.
However, the redevelopment authority believes the tracks are pervious because the loose ballast, or rocks, between the railroad ties allows water to drain on site, Thomas said.
This argument particularly applies to sections of the authority’s approximately 55-mile track that are inactive and highly vegetated due to a lack of use, Thomas said.
Thomas does not know if discrepancies will be corrected without the need to file formal appeals.
“It’s a matter of going through the information and pointing out errors and trying to get everything resolved,” Thomas said.
Redevelopment Authority Solicitor Garry Taroli advised against further public discussion about the matter Tuesday, saying additional details should be discussed in closed-door executive session because it may end up in litigation. Taroli said he has completed some research and will share it with the board in executive session.
Thomas also noted the redevelopment authority is sharing research with the county Flood Protection Authority, which has been billed for the road atop the Wyoming Valley Levee.
This road was constructed for maintenance and patrols of the flood-control system but also is popular for recreation.
Flood Authority Executive Director Christopher Belleman said his authority received approximately 27 bills totaling around $1,300 per year for service locations specified as “unknown.”
While Belleman suspects the road atop the levee is included in the bills, he said he is in the process of seeking clarification from the sanitary authority to pinpoint spots it deemed impervious. The levee system also includes paved parking lots and roofed pump stations.
The flood authority’s sole ongoing revenue stream is a fee on levee-protected properties.
According to the sanitary authority’s stormwater fee rules and regulations, the following definition applies to impervious area:
An area that does not allow, or allows only with great difficulty, the movement of water into the ground. Impervious areas include, but are not limited to, roofs; additional outdoor living spaces; patios; garages; storage sheds and similar structures; compacted dirt, gravel or other substances; parking or driveway areas; and any private streets and sidewalks.