Council Endorses Stormwater District;
New Projects, Taxes, Debt Possible

– By Peter Jovanovich –

The City Council on March 5 voted unanimously to support the introduction of state legislation to create a Regional Stormwater Management District (RSMD). The District would be an independent entity overseeing stormwater projects for twelve communities in Westchester, including Rye, New Rochelle, Mt. Vernon, Port Chester and Harrison among others.
The RSMD is the brainchild of the Long Island Sound Inter-municipal Council, of which Rye is a member. In August 2007, LISWIC issued a Feasibility Report, which recommended the creation of an RSMD. According to the report, whose goals are endorsed by the Rye City Council, the RSMD might do the following:
• Provide inter-municipal flood planning and management
• Build large stormwater projects
• Create new central staff, e.g. legal, PR, engineering, IT
• Levy $60 tax on all property owners, including non-profit
• Issue debt to fund stormwater projects.
According to Mayor Steve Otis, an RSMD would “create an entity to implement projects that have a multi-community benefit, and improve coordination … with upstream communities … to provide more benefit to down stream communities.” Rye would have one vote on an RSMD board of 12 members.
The Rye Record questioned the members of the Council about a possible RSMD, on issues such as:
• What new projects are envisioned?
• Instead of a new layer of government, shouldn’t Westchester County provide flood planning/stormwater management?
• Can this RSMD issue debt without a Rye citizens’ referendum?
• The Feasibility Report states new central staff will cost $3 to $7 million a year.  Does the $60 parcel tax cover this?
• If Rye chose to join the RSMD, would it be able to withdraw?
Six of the seven Council members declined to answer these and other questions, deferring their response to Mayor Otis, who is Rye’s representative on LISWIC.
Regarding potential issues related to an RSMD, Otis said, “Many of the questions are not ripe or knowable at this time as the project is still evolving . . . and language is still being drafted.” He did say that in his view, and the view of LISWIC, an independent district provides more local control than the county model.
The Mayor pointed out that there are a number of recommendations in the Feasibility Report that have already been rejected by LISWIC. For example, the RSMD will not take over local storm drain maintenance, have the powers of a public authority or control projects of purely local impact. He cited flood mitigation efforts now underway with Rye Brook as the kind of thing the RSMD might oversee.