Stormwater fee looms over subdivisions

Three Columbia County subdivisions are in line to learn what the county's stormwater utility fee ordinance is all about.

On Monday, Columbia County's Public Works committee agreed to forward on to the county commission a request to have three subdivisions added into the county's stormwater utility fee area: Kingston, Euchee Creek and Kiokee Ridge.

Billy Clayton, the county's water department director, told committee members the expanded fee area is needed because of growth in those areas.

County Commissioner and committee member Diane Ford agreed.

"It's time to move on,'' she said. "We've got to do this.''

Clayton also asked that the stormwater fee ordinance be amended so in the future it will include any new subdivisions that come along with a stormwater system.

Officials have said the stormwater fee typically costs the homeowner about $4 a month. The county started charging property owners the fee in 1999 based on the amount of impervious surface on a property - an area that water does not seep into.

The money is intended to help control flooding.

In other action, the committee also agreed to resurvey the county's road system, taking a look at certain roads that aren't in the county system now but could possibly be brought under that system to allow county maintenance.

"I'd like for us to have an update on the indexing,'' Commission Chairman Ron Cross said.

Officials said they would investigate how many roads in the county aren't in the system. The issue was brought to light involving a complaint by a resident living on Conn Drive Extension. The resident said he would like the county to have the road paved, but county officials say it's not in the county system.