Drafter
Clerk 11/14/2006
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AN ORDINANCE regarding surface water management; revising surface water management service charges; and amending Ordinance 7590, Section 8, as amended, and K.C.C. 9.08.070 and Ordinance 7590, Section 9, as amended, and K.C.C. 9.08.080.
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STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. On April 28, 1986, the King County Council adopted Ordinance 7590, which initiated 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." On December 2, 1991, the council increased the services provided by the surface water management program and set a rate structure and service charges by adopting Ordinance 10187. On November 19, 2001, the council passed Ordinance 14261, acknowledging that the costs to provide surface water management services 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.
2. Since the adoption of Ordinance 14261 on November 19, 2001, the requirements for proper management of surface water quality and quantity have increased and become more stringent. In addition to the increased requirements already implemented since 2001, the new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System ("NPDES") permit requires King County's compliance with more stringent requirements when this permit becomes effective on January 5, 2007. These requirements and the county's responses, together with the ordinary impacts of inflation, have increased the costs of providing surface water management services to property owners within King County and make an increase in the surface water management service charge warranted.
3. Since the King County council's adoption of Ordinance 14261 in 2001, the Washington state Department of Ecology ("Ecology") is increasing re...

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