Stormwater Overview

In 1997, as a result of more stringent Federal mandates regarding the quality of storm water runoff, the then Village of Chelsea adopted Ordinance # 123 which enabled the now City to assess and collect the storm-water utility service fee. This money is placed in a separate, dedicated fund and used for the construction, reconstruction, repair, cleaning and inspection of the City's storm-water catch basins, storm sewers and detention systems. It is also used for the cleaning and inspection of manholes, outfalls and ditches, street sweeping and leaf collection, stormwater system admininistration, stormwater system studies and engineering designs, and removal of illicit connections to the storm-water system.

The storm-water billing system is based on the Equivalent Hydraulic Acre (EHA) method. This method takes into consideration the impervious and pervious area of your property. The entire city was studied and measured by our engineering firm McNamee, Porter and Seeley, Inc. Single family residences (SRF's), duplexes, three and four unit apartments are billed on a flat rate basis using a typical EHA for such properties. All other properties are billed based on actual EHA measurements and there is a fee on every parcel in the City. The fact that there may not be a storm drainage structure in front of the property does not exempt the property from the fee, as all property drains it's water to a ditch or drain resulting in the water getting to the City's drainage system.The stormwater utility fee is billed once a year on or about the first of June and the fee covers the following year. It is due and payable thirty (30) days after billing. If not paid in a timely manner, it will be treated like all other unpaid utility bills and become a lien against the property.