Warren’s storm sewers to have improvements, with more fees

By Ed Runyan

The city’s storm sewers have not seen major improvements in 40 to 50 years.

WARREN — Improvements to storm sewers in six identified areas of the city could begin within a year and take 20 years to pay off with additional storm water fees authorized by city council.

Tom Angelo, Warren water pollution control director, said the legislation increases the cost to homeowners by about 5 percent per year through 2013.

That will gradually increase the current residential storm water surcharge of about $3 per month to around $4 per month by 2013.

The per-month cost will increase 15 cents October through December of this year, 30 cents in 2009, 46 cents in 2010, 63 cents in 2011, 81 cents in 2012, and $1 from 2013 and thereafter.

Businesses per month will pay an additional $3.98 to $11.94 by 2013, depending on the size of their parking lot.

The previous storm water surcharges paid for work required by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, such as public education of what can go into storm sewers, labeling sewers so that people know not to dump oil into them, finding discharges of oil and other things that are going into streams, and cleaning of storm sewers.

The new money will be used to make storm drainage improvements costing more than $50,000 such as construction or replacement of sewers.

Angelo said the city’s storm sewers have not received major improvements in 40 to 50 years, and most were built about 100 years ago.

“Our grandparents paid for the current infrastructure. Now it’s our turn to upgrade them for our grandkids,” Angelo said.

Studies done in 2004 and 2006 indicated the six areas of the city most in need of repair, which will be first on the list to receive work (in no particular order): Elm Road, Irene Avenue and University Street Northeast area; Golf Drive and Country Club Drive Northeast area; Milliken Place and Atlantic Street Northeast area; Coit Avenue Northwest area; Tod Avenue Northwest near the Warren Olympic Club; and Eastland Avenue Southeast.

Angelo said the new fees will raise about $70,000 to $80,000 in 2009, rising to around $270,000 per year in 2013. The city now collects about $800,000 per year in storm water fees, about half of which is paid as salaries, Angelo said.

runyan@vindy.com