Scottsburg adopts $7 monthly stormwater fee and moves to pursue $700,000 grant

The Scottsburg Board of Public Works and Safety on Dec. 30 voted to adopt a stormwater user fee that will charge property owners $7 a month, a measure city leaders say is required for compliance with state MS4 stormwater regulations and to qualify for grant funding.

City officials said the fee will provide a local match and operational funding while Heritage Engineering and stormwater staff map drainage problems. “It has been mandated by the state,” the meeting chair said during the public hearing, describing the MS4 requirement and the need to begin formal stormwater planning. Officials identified priority work in neighborhoods including Lovers Lane, Larry Lane and the north side near Local Drive.

Resident Duane Wheatley urged the board to consider affordability before raising fees, saying the city contains concentrated poverty and many older residents. “People are really struggling out there right now,” Wheatley said, asking whether the fee is necessary and whether waivers or reduced costs would be available for seniors or SNAP recipients. Administration responded there is no waiver mechanism for property owners and confirmed the $7 monthly charge.

The board also approved a $5,000 certified income survey contract required to apply for a competitive $700,000 grant; meeting discussion said the contractor’s initial invoice is $2,000 and the remaining $3,000 would follow. Officials said the grant would likely require only a roughly 10% local match, smaller than past grants with one-third to one-half matches, and stressed that securing the grant would reduce the local burden of paying for major stormwater fixes.

Board members emphasized prioritizing older neighborhoods for stormwater projects if the grant is awarded and said a ranking system will be used to allocate work. Officials also noted that if Scottsburg does not receive grant funding, the city will need to elevate stormwater projects on its local priority list and fund them locally.

The fee adoption followed a public hearing and a motion to adopt the ordinance; members voiced aye and the measure passed during the meeting. Next steps are submitting the grant application and executing the income survey contract so that the city can be eligible for the federal/state funding.

The board closed the public hearing and moved on to other business after the vote.