County Service Area 152 (CSA 152) Storm Water Assessments

As part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining a safe and vibrant Banning, we are exploring existing plans to sustain and improve the vital infrastructure of our city. One initiative currently underway is the reestablishment of the CSA 152 Storm Water Assessment, a measure initially introduced and approved by our City Council back in 1994 to offset costs associated with our mandatory storm water compliance requirements.

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) is a federally mandated program to control non-point sources of runoff pollution. The California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Colorado River Basin, Region No. 7, in implementing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s storm water NPDES Permit program, requires that the Districts and Incorporated Cities within the Whitewater River Basin obtain a joint permit to discharge storm water into the various storm channels and washes throughout the Whitewater River Watershed area. Therefore, the City of Banning is mandating by its NPDES Permit to meet state and federal storm water discharge requirements.

The City of Banning is required, through Best Management Practices (BMPs), to implement practices within our community which reduce pollutants entering into the storm drain system to the maximum extent practicable. The major components of the existing and upcoming 2025 NPDES Permit to implement the BMPs include: project management, attendance at Desert Task Force meetings, record keeping and Annual Report preparation; illegal dumping and illicit connection detection, inspection, spill prevention and cleanup activities; commercial and industrial facilities inspections (dozens per year) and the review of all City issued business licenses for SB 205 compliance; implementing land development and plan review procedures including plan check, preparing Conditions of Approval, reviewing erosion control plans and WQMPs and ensuring post construction self-inspections are performed annually by required businesses; enforcing and implementing construction activities requirements of City and private development projects including construction site inspections, review of developer’s BMPs, erosion control plans and SWPPPs (Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans), and ensuring compliance with the Regional Board’s Construction General Permit requirements; maintaining City facilities, including the City Corporate and Water Yards and Fire Station, and storm drains and performing inspections and maintenance, removing trash and debris from the storm drain system, and from roads through street sweeping; and implementing public education and outreach programs by providing brochures to the public at City events and at the public counter, to businesses and contractors through inspections and storm water training of municipal staff.

The NPDES program costs the City about $300,000 annually to manage the current NPDES Permit. The new 2025 NPDES Permit will cost more due to new requirements. One way to generate revenue for the program is to reinstate a “grandfathered” assessment from 1994, called the CSA 152 NPDES assessment. This storm water assessment is currently collected by the County on behalf of a number of participating cities via property tax bills.

Dues to the fact that assessments have not been collected from properties in the City since FY 1994/95, the funding source for the NPDES program is now absorbed by City of Banning's Streets Department. Since expenses will continue to rise, the CSA 152 assessment is needed to help offset some of these costs. If it is not implemented, the General Fund may be used and impact the budget of other programs. A municipal special district financing consultant was hired to prepare the Assessment Report and determine the assessment for each poperty with a structure in Banning. A very rough estimate of revenues collected is between $75,000 and $110,000/year, which would substantially help with the NPDES program costs.

In late 1993, the County of Riverside annexed the City of Banning into its County Service Area (CSA) 152. The City, acting through the County and CSA 152, is able to collect an assessment on individual parcels within the City that contain a structure. Each parcel is assigned a certain number of "Benefit Assessment Units" or "BAUs." For instance, a single-family home, regardless of its size, is assigned one BAU, while a commercial property is assigned 12 BAUs per acre. One BAU costs the property owner $4.72/year. Vacant and undeveloped land is exempt, regardless of its land use code. A homeowner will pay $4.72/home/year.

In an effort to safeguard our scenic city and streamline the crucial responsibility of our Public Works Department, we will to reinstate this assessment. It aims to financially fortify our measures towards storm water compliance, issued forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the State of California Water Resources Control Board and our localized Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board. As a community, we have the ability to join forces and ensure our unique environment’s sustainability and safety.