(A) Residential equivalent factor.
(1) Rates and charges for the use and availability of the system shall be determined through the use of a “residential equivalent factor” (“REF”).
(2) For the purposes of this chapter, one REF is defined as the ratio of the average volume of surface water run-off coming from one acre of land and subjected to a particular use, to the average volume of run-off coming from one acre of land subjected to typical single-family residential use within the city during a standard rainfall event.
(B) Storm water drainage charges.
(1) In determining charges, the City Council shall by resolution establish a basic system rate to be charged against one acre of land having an REF of one. The charge to be made against each parcel of land shall then be determined by multiplying the REF for the parcel’s land use classification times the parcel’s acreage times the basic system rate. The REFs for the following land uses within the city and the billing classifications for the land uses are as follows:
Classification | Land Uses | REF |
Classification | Land Uses | REF |
1 | Cemeteries, parks, golf courses | 0.50 |
2 | Single-family and and each unit in a twin home | 1.00 |
3 | Public and private schools and institutional uses | 1.30 |
4 | Multiple-family residential and churches | 1.70 |
5 | Commercial | 2.30 |
6 | Farm land (tillable and pasture) | 0.10 |
7 | Undeveloped land in the 100-year flood fringe or floodway zones, or sloughs, ponds and the like without drainage outlet | 0.00 |
8 | Industrial - sites with more than 500,000 square feet of impervious surface area | 3.20 |
(2) For the purpose of calculating storm water drainage charges, all developed single-family and duplex parcels shall be considered to have an acreage of one-third acre per unit. Double bungalows or duplexes shall be considered to be two units. Farmsteads with accessory structures and out buildings shall be classed in the single-family/duplex residential class and considered to have an acreage of two-thirds acre per dwelling unit, plus any other land at its REF classification.
(Prior Code, §3.24) (Ord. 135, Third Series, effective 7-23-1992; Ord. 139, Third Series, effective 11-19-1992)