Press release.
The City is asking residents and property owners to help determine funding options to support Guelph’s stormwater management infrastructure as part of the Stormwater Funding Study.
Like other Canadian municipalities, Guelph is working to address a substantial gap in infrastructure funding. Guelph needs to find innovative and sustainable ways to cover the cost of building, maintaining and repairing of its roads, water, wastewater, stormwater and other municipal infrastructure.
The City is using research and best practices from other municipalities, and gathering input from residents, business, institutions, and environmental organizations to evaluate a list of alternative stormwater management funding tools such as stormwater user fees, property taxes, development charges, and flat rate fees.
The stormwater survey asks property owners to consider some tough questions about stormwater funding, such as ‘Would you be willing to take steps on your own property to reduce the impacts of heavy rainfall events?’ and ‘Would you be willing to pay a stormwater user fees based upon the amount of hard surface on your property?’
“We all benefit from reliable and well-maintained stormwater management infrastructure to help prevent floods, protect and improve local water quality and control downstream erosion,” says Arun Hindupur, infrastructure planning engineer, Engineering Services. “Guelph’s Stormwater Funding Study is intended to address the current funding gap, determine future costs, establish service standards, and provide an equitable, reasonable and sustainable funding model.”
The Stormwater Fundy Study will also help ensure Guelph is prepared to accommodate continued growth, address changing weather patterns, and renew its aging infrastructure to prevent failures or costly emergency repairs.
Property owners are encouraged to participate in the survey by June 31 at guelph.ca/swfunding.