Don Martray has seen firsthand the problems Muskogee’s stormwater runoff can do and favors a plan to increase user fees for non-residential customers.

Martray lives in the drainage basin that brings stormwater runoff from Gibson Street and Civitan Park to the residential area to the south of it. The runoff frequently causes flooding of streets and homes before it can eventually drain into Coody Creek.

The City Council will consider Nov. 2 a proposal that would raise stormwater user fees to $1 per 2,650 feet of impervious surface for non-residential customers. That fee would apply to churches, schools, non-city governmental agencies and businesses.

They now pay the fee, but it is charged based on the size of the customer’s water meter. Many businesses pay the same amount as households even though they may have large areas of pavement.

For example, the Dal-Tile plant now pays about $12 per month, about $144 per year, in stormwater fees. Unless it qualifies for some of the discounts in Director of Public Works Mike Stewart’s plan, the plant could be charged about $12,384 per year for stormwater.

Martray said he realizes it may be financially hard on many of those impacted by the new fees, especially churches. At the same time, he knows the need for finding a solution to the flooding problem.

Stewart said the current fees bring in about $380,000 per year, with residential customers paying $280,000 of that. The balance comes from non-residential customers.

Raising the rate to $1 per ESU (2,650 square feet) would not immediately generate the millions of dollars needed to correct the city’s flooding problems. It would be a starting place, Stewart said.

The city needs $1 million for a stormwater management plan. Another $5.7 million is needed to correct the flooding problems along Anthony and Belmont streets, a detention pond on Chandler Road, correcting the Elliott Street problem and a detention pond near Muskogee Regional Medical Center.



Stewart has asked the Council to consider setting a higher fee — as much as $4 per ESU — but has settled on starting at $1, with a plan to increase the fee.

The $1 fee would take effect June 1, with a minimum monthly charge of $4 per customer.

The maximum charge would be $250 per month.

The fee, as proposed, would increase in January 2012 and eventually the ceiling would come off.

Councilor David Jones has expressed concerns about the impact of the fee on businesses in the struggling economy and has asked for the public’s input on the issue.



Stewart said he is concerned about businesses and their ability to pay, but he also is concerned for the people whose homes are subject to flooding every time the city gets a heavy rain.

Muskogee School Superintendent Mike Garde said preliminary estimates are that the new rate would cost the school district about $17,000 per year.

While that is not exorbitant, it comes at the same time the state is cutting its funding to the district. MPS has lost $300,000 already this year and may end up with a $1 million reduction in funding by the end of the school year.



Jerry Huffer has attended several meetings on the issue, representing Boulevard Christian Church, whose new church building is on West Shawnee Bypass.

Even with the discounts the church would receive for having its own detention ponds and retaining runoff waters from neighbors as well, Huffer is concerned that the church’s fee would be unduly high.

Reach Liz McMahan at 684-2926 or lmcmahan@muskogeephoenix.com.