Carson City stormwater program, rates being eyed

Public input on stormwater service levels and rates will be sought by Carson City’s Public Works Department at two open forums set for July 23.

Utility Manager David Bruketta said the department is preparing options on programs for the future with presentations and an opportunity for citizen comment at the sessions, which are scheduled in the Ormsby Room at the Sheriff’s Office, 911 E. Musser St. The sessions on the fourth Thursday of this month run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 5:30 to 7 p.m. to accommodate citizens’ varying schedules.

“We want to basically present the program, where we are today and where we want the program to go,” said Bruketta.

Possible directions and the cost have been and are currently under consideration with a full look ready by the meetings and beyond.

After the sessions, Public Works will tweak options and take stormwater matters to the Board of Supervisors for board members’ direction in August.

“We’ve been working on this for the last couple of months,” Bruketta said. “We’ll have a lot more detail when we make the presentation.”

Bruketta said 11 years ago the city’s governing board selected the lowest service option regarding how to handle stormwater and a review was anticipated after a decade, so the move was overdue.

“We want to review the whole program,” he said. Asked about potential rates, he replied: “That will be the discussion that we will have with the Board of Supervisors.”

Bruketta said given the stormwater issue has been on the city’s radar screen since at least last year’s flash flooding here, and focused work on prospective action has been underway for months, it’s coming to public attention via the scheduled meetings “in the same time frame” by chance as current flash flooding has hit Douglas County and Reno.