§ 17-173. Stormwater management service charges.

(a)

All developed land in the city, whether public or private, shall be subject to a stormwater service charge. Exemptions shall not be allowed based on age, tax exemption, or other status of an individual or organization. Stormwater service charges may be subject to a credit system as further provided herein.

(b)

Stormwater service charges on developed land shall be based on a schedule of rates, charges, tiers, and late fees fixed and established from time to time by the city council, adopted in the annual budget ordinance and maintained on file in the offices of the city clerk. Stormwater service charges will be determined and modified from time to time by the city council, so that the total revenues generated by said charges will be used to pay the principal and the interest on the debt incurred for stormwater purposes, and such expenses as are reasonably necessary for providing stormwater services within the City of Kannapolis.

(c)

The monthly stormwater service charges shall be based on the amount of impervious surface o developed property in the city, referred to herein as an "equivalent runoff unit" or ERU. Service charges on developed land shall be computed as follows:

(1)

Service charges on single-family developed land shall be based on the median amount of impervious surface on a single-family residential lot in the city. There shall be three (3) tiers for single-family developed properties, based on the amounts of impervious surfaces on single-family properties, as follows:

(i)

A small single-family unit size shall be classified as a Tier I parcel and assigned an ERU value of 0.75;

(ii)

A medium single-family unit size shall be classified as a Tier II parcel and assigned an ERU value of 1.0;

(iii)

A large single-family unit size shall be classified as a Tier III parcel and assigned an ERU value of 1.25.

The magnitude of each tier of single-family developed residential land shall be defined by resolution.

(2)

For all other developed properties, the monthly stormwater service charge on developed land is calculated by dividing the total impervious surface area of the property by one (1) ERU, rounded up to the nearest ERU, multiplied by the monthly ERU rate as established from time to time by the city council.

(d)

Exemptions from stormwater management service charges are provided for parcels that meet one (1) or more of the following criteria:

(1)

Undeveloped land.

(2)

Improved public transportation ways, including public streets, roads, greenways and trails, and internal roads within public facilities which are maintained by the North Carolina Department of Transportation or City of Kannapolis and which are used by the general public for motor vehicle transportation.

(3)

Railroad tracks. However, railroad stations, maintenance buildings or other developed land shall not be exempted from stormwater management service charges.

(Ord. No. 2007-03, art. II, 2-12-07)