Subd. 1. Residential equivalent factor. Rates and charges for the use and availability of the system shall be determined through the use of a “residential equivalent factor” (REF). For the purposes of this section, one REF is defined as the ratio of the average volume of surface water runoff coming from one acre of land and subjected to a particular use, to the average volume of runoff coming from one acre of land subjected to typical single-family residential use within the city during a “standard rainfall event.” For purposes of this chapter, a standard rainfall event is defined as the 1-year, 24 hour rainfall event of two to three inches as published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Minnesota Hydrology Guide.”
Subd. 2. Stormwater drainage charges. 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 zoning district classification times the parcel’s acreage times the basic system rate. For land uses identified as Classification 2 below, the charge to be made shall be determined by multiplying the REF times the basic system rate. The REF’s for land uses within the city and the billing classifications for the land uses are as follows:
Classification | Land Uses | REF |
1 | Cemeteries | 0.70 |
2 | Single-family and duplex residential a. <30,000 sq. ft. lot b. >50,000 sq. ft. lot | 0.70 1.00 1.30 |
3 | Public and private schools and institutional uses | 1.30 |
4 | Multiple-family residential and churches | 1.70 |
5 | Commercial | 2.30 |
(1987 Code, § 905.03) (Ord. 268, passed 1-25-1993)