An Urgent Message from the Stormwater Committee

An Urgent Message from the Stormwater Committee

Since April of 2014, the Stormwater Committee has been sharing facts about the damage caused by stormwater flooding within our community.  It is critical that all homeowners understand the urgency of the situation now!

• Ocean Sands & Crown Point soils, topography, the water table, and the “bowl” that exists between the dunes and the highway make this an issue which cannot be ignored and must be addressed with a comprehensive solution.

• Flooding is pervasive and continuous throughout the community and everyone is potentially affected. If your home doesn’t flood, other homes around you do.

• Streets fill with standing water, posing threat of bacteria-related and insect-borne illness. Access to many homes is limited, or impossible.

• Owners suffer repeated expenses to repair and refurbish after each event. The community gets a reputation for flooding. Renters and potential buyers look elsewhere. Home values and rental rates suffer.

The technical engineering solution has not been determined yet. However, we do have the answer as to how to pay for and achieve that best technical answer. This is accomplished by the creation and implementation of a Stormwater Service District. Other neighboring communities have successfully utilized service districts to remediate their flooding issues. Here is how it works:

• A Service District is administered by the county and funded by  a tax on each property’s assessed value, just like the Ocean Sands Water & Sewer District.
• The tax paid by each owner is deductible on their individual 1040 return.
• The Service District will operate and maintain the flood control system going forward.
• The District has governmental immunity removing potential liability from individual owners.
• All property owners within the boundaries of the district, without exception, will pay tax.
  (as an example: $0.05 per $100 of property value, or $224.50 per year, based on an assessed value of $449,000. This is only an estimate.)

Most importantly, the creation of a Stormwater Service District ensures that Coastland Corp. would not collect and manage our money, benefitting them financially, OR make technical decisions that don’t represent the best global solution for all!

Please watch for a detailed presentation coming in early April!