HAMILTON'S NEXT COUNCIL, NOT THIS ONE, WILL DECIDE STORMWATER FEE

It will be up to Hamilton's next council to decide whether to adopt a stormwater fee to shore up the city's beleaguered system and they aren't expected to make that decision until June 2024, according to a new staff timeline.

That's too late, says Coun. John-Paul Danko, noting the city's stormwater system faces a significant funding gap.

"We've been talking about this this entire term — for four years — and then to put it off for another two years, in my mind, is not acceptable."

Dedicated stormwater programs charge fees to property owners according to the amount of hard surfaces, such as roofs and parking lots, that direct rain into sewers.

In Hamilton, councillors have debated such a program since 2009, but rejected the idea in 2015, before reviving the concept in 2019.

In December, council backed Danko's motion to ask water department staff to recommend how to cover an estimated $14-million-ayear funding gap to maintain the city's aging stormwater infrastructure.

As it stands, the bulk of the city's stormwater budget is funded through combined wastewater/stormwater rates, which are based on potable water consumption.

But there's "no relationship" between how much potable water a property uses and how much stormwater it sends into the system, a staff report notes.

Moreover, water consumption has declined since 2004, leading to a funding crunch, the report notes. Before 2004, the city mostly relied on the tax levy to fund its stormwater needs.

Climate change has walloped cities with more intense and frequent rain storms, which have increased pressure on local water systems. Other municipalities, including Ottawa and Newmarket, have shifted to dedicated stormwater rate programs.

On June 13, city staff described a phased approach to exploring the question, which would see a consultant hired by October and the next council — fresh off the municipal election — determining "guiding principles" by January.

If council backs an alternative, the new program would be implemented by January 2026.