Village of Combined Locks Goal
Reduce Pollutant Loadings Entering the Fox River
The Village of Combined Locks is required to reduce storm water pollutants that discharge to the Fox River by an amount of 20% by 2008; and 40% by 2013, in order to meet its storm water discharge permit requirements imposed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as required by NR216. The Village of Combined Locks will meet the required 20% reduction of storm water pollutants for lands within the community which lay within the watershed of the Garners Creek Storm Water Utility; but will need to construct a storm water retention pond outside of the storm water utility jurisdiction in order to fully comply with the community-wide requirement of 20% and 40% reduction of pollutant loadings, as required by its storm water permit.
CORTLAND COURT
STORM WATER DETENION POND
TO SERVE
COMBINED LOCKS & KIMBERLY
The Villages of Combined Locks and Kimberly were poised to move forward on the construction of a joint storm water management detention pond to be built along railroad right-of-way near the intersection of Prospect & Elm Streets in Combined Locks. The proposed Pond, called Riverview Pond, was to be built as an in-line pond, which would assist both communities to each reach the goal of 40% reduction in total suspended solids as required under NR216. The joint project was scored high enough by the Wisconsin DNR to qualify as one of a small number of state-wide projects that would receive 50% in federal stimulus monies. In effect 50% of the (estimated) cost of the $975,782 was to be paid with the help of federal stimulus dollars. Unfortunately, the arm of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, charged with permitting the pond, did not authorize a permit to allow construction of the in-line pond, because of environmental concerns.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has authorized the use of federal stimulus monies for an alternate project; which is to be the construction of the Cortland Court Pond, in the Village of Kimberly. The pond, although being built in Kimberly, will provide credit to the entire watershed that discharges to the Fox River along an unnamed tributary adjacent to railroad right-of-way. The watershed is comprised of acreage located in both communities. What is important here is that the individual communities will receive “credit” toward meeting the requirement to reduce pollutant loadings, based on the percentage of acreage that the communities have in the watershed. Likewise, costs to construct the pond will be apportioned based on the percentage of pollution reduction benefit that each community is deriving.
35.1% of the acreage in the watershed to be benefited by the Cortland Pond is located in the Village of Combined Locks. Accordingly, 35.1% of the local cost of the pond is attributable to this community. The budgeted numbers for pond construction are as follows:
Total Estimated Cost for Cortland Pond: $558,275
Federal Stimulus dollars to apply: $279,137.50
Local amount to share: $279,137.50
Est Combined Locks share @35.1%: $97,977.26
The Village of Combined Locks must provide sufficient dollars for its share of construction and maintenance of the Cortland Court Pond. The Village will receive a low interest loan from the Wisconsin Clean Water Fund to pay for the local costs of construction of the pond. The village will pay back the loan through the equitable way of apportioning costs by imposing special charges on all parcels in the community under the ERU (equivalent run-off) system of assigning costs. The existing ERU rate of $74 per ERU is being modified so that the new rate will be $83 per ERU (a flat annual increase of $9 per ERU). With the new ERU rate, the village will be able to pay off the debt for the Cortland pond within 10 years.
We anticipate that future projects will be required to meet the mandates imposed on municipalities to reduce pollutant loadings from storm water that ultimately discharges to the Fox River. We all end up paying for unfunded, costly requirements that are imposed on municipalities.
