Tagged: weather

Pages

Stormwater fee
3:53 pm
Tue October 30, 2012

State Supreme Court To Hear St. Louis Stormwater Case

Credit Andrew Wamboldt/KOMU News - via Flickr
Share
E-mail
Comments
By

The Missouri Supreme Court will decide whether the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District can charge for stormwater service based on how much water a property absorbs.  

The decision extends a nearly four-year-old legal battle over the agency’s so-called "impervious fee." Two lower courts have ruled that it was not a fee at all, but a tax – and therefore had to be approved by voters under the Hancock Amednment.

Read more
Stormwater service
6:38 am
Thu September 6, 2012

When it comes to stormwater service, MSD is facing a perfect 'storm' of problems

Next imagePrevious image
Credit (photo courtesy of Ron Cox)
Water whipping around the bend in Fishpot Creek carved this 25-foot cliff behind houses on Pepperdine Ct.
Credit (photo courtesy of Ron Cox)
At the height of the problem, Ron Cox's dog (lower right corner) would have been standing on the edge of the cliff, 12 feet from his back door.
Credit (photo courtesy of Ron Cox.)
Work on MSD's effort to stabilize the bank of Fishpot Creek is underway in April 2009. The utility borrowed capital dollars from a wealthier area of the city, then paid back the loan with funds from a now-illegal impervious fee.
Credit (Rachel Lippmann/St. Louis Public Radio)
Carither Hite's backyard on Evans Lane. She says the foliage was once above the power lines - but years of runoff from poorly-designed sewers on the street above have moved the trees down the hill.
Credit (Rachel Lippmann/St. Louis Public Radio)
This house at the corner of James St. and Evans Ln. shows the effects of settling brought on by poor stormwater drainage.
Credit (Rachel Lippmann/St. Louis Public Radio)
This stretch of Evans Lane has no stormwater inlets - the openings in the curb where water drains into larger pipes during a storm.
Share
E-mail
Comments
By

The remnants of Hurricane Isaac ended a summer-long dry spell. But for some customers of the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, it meant flooded backyards and basements.

For decades, MSD funded its stormwater service with a patchwork of different taxes, which allowed the agency to meet its regulatory requirements. But repairs were a different story.

Some parts of the region were flush with cash for capital projects. It took others months or years to accumulate enough funds for even basic repairs.

Earlier this year, a state appeals court struck down a potential solution - a fee based on how much water a property could absorb. An appeal to the state Supreme Court is pending.

For now, MSD has gone back to its old taxing districts - allowing the lingering problems to get worse.

Read more
Weather
9:37 am
Mon September 3, 2012

Reminder from Ill. officials to stay prepared for storms

Credit Flickr/Sky-y Photography
Share
E-mail
Comments
By

Illinois officials are reminding people to stay prepared for severe weather and disasters.

Read more

Pages