Rising Sun adopts escrow fees for land development, flags $1.75M MS4 funding need

On April 13 the Town of Rising Sun adopted Resolution 2023‑03, amending its fee schedule to require escrow deposits and administrative fees for land development plan reviews and stormwater management inspections.

Town Administrator said the changes align the town with common municipal practice to collect escrow funds up front so third‑party engineering and inspection costs are covered and not subsidized by general taxpayers. The resolution specifies replenishment when an escrow account is 75% depleted and return of unused funds at project completion; the administrator cited example amounts in the fee schedule: $3,000 for single‑lot and minor subdivision escrow and $5,000 for major subdivision escrow, with higher amounts for preliminary and final reviews.

The board moved to adopt the resolution and approved it by voice vote. Administrator said the town would contract with third‑party engineers to perform plan reviews and inspections and track administrative fees to document services provided.

In staff reports the administrator also told the board the town is applying for a WILMAPCO planning grant and for the Maryland Department of the Environment operators grant to support sewer operations. She warned the board that the town faces a potential MS4 (municipal separate storm sewer system) funding need of roughly $1,750,000 by December 2025 if grant funding does not come through and said staff will propose an infrastructure expansion fee to require developers to pay a share of future capacity projects.

The board approved the fee schedule amendment; the administrator said related code amendments and additional fee items will be introduced in upcoming meetings as needed.