1. The City Council finds, determines, and declares it to be conducive to the health, welfare, safety and convenience of the City and its residents that a stormwater management utility district be established within the City. Consequently, pursuant to I.C. § 384.84(1), a stormwater management utility district, to be known as the Independence Stormwater Management Utility, is established, and it is ordained and declared that the property located within the City limits of the City of Independence shall be and constitute the stormwater management utility district, and that the utility shall comprise and include elements of the City’s stormwater drainage and flood protection systems which provide for the collection, treatment and disposal of stormwater, surface water, and groundwater. It is further found, determined, and declared that the elements of the stormwater management utility are of benefit and provide services to all real properties within the incorporated City limits, including property not directly served by the stormwater drainage system, and that such benefits and services may include but are not limited to the provision of adequate systems of collection, conveyance, detention, treatment and release of stormwater; the reduction of hazard to property and life resulting from stormwater runoff and flooding; improvement in general health and welfare through reduction of undesirable stormwater conditions and flooding; and improvement to the water quality in the stormwater and surface water system and its receiving waters.
2. It is further determined and declared to be necessary and conducive to the protection of the public health, welfare, safety and convenience of the City and its residents that charges be levied upon and collected from the owners or occupants of all lots, parcels of real estate, and buildings that discharge stormwater or surface or subsurface waters, directly or indirectly, to the City stormwater drainage system, and that the proceeds of such charges so derived be used for the purposes of operation, maintenance, repair, replacement and debt service for construction of the stormwater drainage and flood protection improvements comprising the stormwater management utility.