Drafter
Clerk 09/23/2024
Title
AN ORDINANCE regarding surface water management; revising surface water management service charges; amending Ordinance 7590, Section 8, as amended, and K.C.C. 9.08.070 and establishing an effective date.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. King County works in partnership with property owners and state and federal agencies to minimize the impacts of storm and surface runoff on the water quantity and quality of the waters of the state.
2. King County charges property owners within its surface water management service area, which is unincorporated King County, a graduated fee based on six nonresidential rate classes tied to relative amount of impervious surface and one uniform rate class for all residential parcels.
3. In 1986, Ordinance 7590 established the surface water management program to provide a comprehensive approach to surface and storm water problems including "basin planning, land use regulation, construction of facilities, maintenance and public education." In 1991, Ordinance 10187 increased the services provided by the surface water management program and set a rate structure and service charges. In 2001, Ordinance 14261 acknowledged that the costs to provide surface water management had increased due to the ordinary impacts of inflation and due to increased and more stringent federal and state requirements for the proper management of surface water quality and quantity. In 2006, Ordinance 15638 acknowledged that the then soon to be effective new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit would require King County's compliance with more stringent requirements. In 2010, Ordinance 16958 acknowledged that costs had increased to comply with the stringent requirements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit and to meet the ordinary impacts of inflation. In 2012, Ordinance 17451 acknowledged that the surface water management program had increased capital construction needs, increased costs ...

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