Storm Water Utility

The City Council approved the establishment of a Storm Water Utility to fund the operation and management of the City’s Storm Water Infrastructure.  The City’s drainage system includes over 49 miles of storm pipe, 288 storm ponds and nearly 1,400 storm water inlets and outlets.  In an effort to maintain and improve the system, protect surface water resources, and meet the needs of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) storm water regulatory program, a more equitable and dedicated funding source is necessary. 

Why a Storm Water Utility?

The City of Lino Lakes previously budgeted within its general levy each year to maintain its storm water management systems. City staff spends numerous hours annually inspecting, maintaining, and repairing catch basins, storm sewer pipes, culverts, ponds, and other storm water treatment features. They also clean storm drains, sweep the streets, monitor active construction sites, and coordinate with other public agencies to ensure the system continues to function at a high level. Staff also educates and assists homeowners to help ensure valuable natural resources continue to be protected.

The storm water utility fee finances the cost of storm water management in a similar manner to water or sanitary sewer. The rate structure is based on the land use, parcel size, and total impervious coverage. For non-residential properties, the quarterly fee is based on the amount of impervious surface on a given property. All residential properties have the same quarterly fee. Basing this fee off impervious coverage and thus storm water runoff contribution makes the fee equitable.

The fee for single family residential (includes townhomes, rural residential and farmsteads) is $12.00 per quarter. The fee for multi-family residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial properties is $175.00 per acre of impervious ($12.00 minimum per parcel) per quarter.