Hurricane's storm drain fee: $11 a month in June, a tiered phase-in for larger properties in September
Hurricane raised its monthly storm drain fee from $4 to $11 in June. In September it adopted an ordinance replacing an earlier one with a tiered system that phases in charges over four years for nonresidential properties billed more than $100 a month, with Year 2 starting in July 2028.
Continuing story: Auditing Hurricane
Hurricane's City Council on June 18 approved Resolution 2026-23, "Approving an increase to the monthly storm drain fee from $4 to $11." Councilmember Dave Imlay moved and Lynn Excell seconded; the minutes record it carried by roll call. [1]
City Attorney Dayton Hall said the resolution would take effect immediately and appear on the August utility bill. The council also adopted Ordinance 2026-15, a storm drain impact fee on new development, by a unanimous roll-call vote. [1]
A tiered fee for larger properties
On Aug. 20, City Engineer Arthur LeBaron presented options for phasing in the fee for larger properties, according to the minutes. He recommended charging properties under $100 a month their full rate and phasing in larger tiers over four years. [2]
Under the option he recommended, tiers 10 through 30 pay a flat $99 and tiers 31 through 200 pay 25% in Year 1. In Year 2, tiers 10 through 18 pay $99 and tiers 19 through 200 pay 50%. In Year 3, tiers 10 through 12 pay $99 and tiers 13 through 200 pay 75%. Year 4 is full implementation. [2]
Staff proposed capping the fee at 1 million square feet. LeBaron said the city's software limits how the utility department can apply the fee and recommended that Year 2 begin in July 2028. [2]
LeBaron said the city needs the money for its MS4 stormwater program and the Goulds Wash detention project, which he put at $67 million with a $5 million city share. No vote was taken; staff was directed to bring back an ordinance for that option. [2]
Adoption
The Sept. 3 staff memo says Ordinance 2026-22 supersedes Ordinance 2026-19 and "lays out a tiered system, along with a 4-year implementation plan" for nonresidential properties. It says applying the fee to each account would take until December because of the large number of properties. [2]
At the meeting, staff said more than 500 properties must be evaluated one by one to set up tiers. Werrett confirmed that a home-based business pays the residential fee and that Year 2 does not start until July 2028. LeBaron said any tier over $100 a month gets the four-year plan. [3]
Imlay called it "a very difficult fee to implement" and asked for a quarterly ledger of revenues and expenses. DeMille said that can be provided. [3]
Werrett moved to approve the ordinance and Excell seconded. The minutes record it carried unanimously by roll call. [3]
Tier details come from the Aug. 20 minutes describing the option the council chose, and from the staff memo and minutes for the Sept. 3 adoption. The Ledger has not seen the signed ordinance or any bills issued under it. The utility-fee figures are separate from the one-time storm drain impact fee on new development.
Sources
- Hurricane City Council · July 16, 2026 packet, with June 18, 2026 minutes
- Hurricane City Council · Sept. 3, 2026 packet, with Aug. 20, 2026 minutes and Ordinance 2026-22 staff memo
- Hurricane City Council · Sept. 17, 2026 packet, with Sept. 3, 2026 minutes
Reporting by The Utah Ledger from the public records above. AI-assisted, checked against those records.