Funding Process

Non-Assessable Flood Mitigation Project Funding

Flood mitigation projects are not generally assessable to residents. However there are some instances where if a project is driven by a development, some portion of the flood mitigation projects would be assessed in accordance with the Stormwater Assessment Policy if they are required as a condition of the new development.   

The City has funding set aside through the Stormwater Utility for non-assessable flood mitigation projects that serve a public good. Some stormwater projects may be incorporated into planned street reconstruction projects, which would include assessments to property owners, however storm sewer improvements are not assessable.  The only exception is private lateral connections to connect to serve specific properties.

Watershed Studies and Flood Reduction Project Funding

Funding for the watershed studies comes from the Operating Budget and is part of the overall City Budget that gets adopted every year. Funding for the public work construction projects comes from the City’s yearly Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Budget, specifically the Stormwater Utility portion of the CIP. The Stormwater Utility for operating and capital budgets is funded by stormwater utility fees, which property owners see on their monthly municipal services bills. These fees pay for many things including funding staffing and wages, operations, repairs and maintenance of the existing stormwater infrastructure, construction of new infrastructure for flood mitigation, water quality practices and land management, debt service, Yahara WINS, and more.  The average residential monthly charge in 2022 is $11.31.