The City of Grande Prairie is seeking public feedback on the possible creation of a stormwater utility funding model that redistributes the cost of the City’s stormwater network through a user-pay system.

The proposed utility removes the cost of the City’s stormwater system from municipal taxes and moves it to a separate utility bill. If implemented, the utility would use a funding model that allocates costs to a property owner based on how much a property impacts the stormwater system.

Currently, the City funds, repairs, upgrades and adds extensions to the stormwater system, which costs an average of $7.5 - $8.0 million per year. The utility is being designed to be revenue-neutral, meaning no new money would be generated by the City.

A stormwater utility fee funding model has become a common practice among Canadian and American municipalities and the City has identified four main benefits of creating a stormwater utility model:

  • Assigns a more precise cost to a property owner based on how much their property impacts the system
  • Allows for the allocation of charges to properties that are currently tax-exempt.
  • Allows for a more accurate tax rate comparison with other municipalities that have implemented a stormwater utility.
  • Creates a pathway for a credit system that could reward properties for stormwater management practices.

 

Public Engagement Details

The community is invited to participate in public engagement activities to help the City understand how the community feels about the creation of a potential stormwater utility and inform Council’s decision-making process.

The consultation also assesses community preference of the two proposed utility models, an Impervious Surface Area Model or an Assessment-Based Model with Impervious Surface Area Modifier.

Residents are invited to attend two drop-in public consultation sessions at the Ernie Radbourne Pavilion in Muskoseepi Park (10326 102 Avenue) on May 31 and at the Teresa Sargent Hall in the Montrose Cultural Centre (9839 103 Avenue) on June 14, 2022, during either of the following times:

  • 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (formal presentations at 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.)
  • 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. (formal presentations at 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.)

The sessions include a presentation on the two proposed utility models and an opportunity for residents to ask questions and share feedback on the models. Registration is not required to attend or participate in the engagement.

Residents are also encouraged to visit the City’s engagement website to participate in online engagement activities and share feedback on the two proposed utility models. These tools include:

  • Stormwater utility survey
  • A Q&A space to ask administration questions about the stormwater system or the utility models
  • A Stormwater Utility Rate and Tax Impact Estimator tool to show how each model would affect your property

For more information on the utility models and to participate in the engagement, please visit engage.cityofgp.com/stormwaterutility.

Information provided by the City of Grande Prairie