Windsor port authority looking at $310K bill due to revamped sewer surcharge
Businesses, other organizations voicing concerns over new formula
When the city's new sewer surcharge formula comes into effect next year, the Port of Windsor will be expected to pay $310,000 a year on its 32 hectares of properties.
"We are looking for more information from the city as to why the port should be expected to contribute to that fund," said president and CEO Steve Salmons.
The figure comes from an assessment by consultants for the city of Windsor, Salmons said.
He's seeking a meeting with the city to see if a compromise can be found.
Windsor will adopt a new system for arriving at charges for wastewater and stormwater in 2025.
The new formula, part of the city's sewer master plan, gives residents a break on what they pay and makes larger customers pay more.
That's because the stormwater fee is based on how much impervious surface area a property has. Properties with plenty of concrete or asphalt — like businesses or organizations with big parking lots — will be seeing increases.
The fee change comes after record flooding in 2016 and 2017, and significant increases in spending to manage the sewer system over the years.
WATCH: Here's how Windsor is changing its sewer fees
Salmons says other than their offices on Sandwich Street, the port properties along the Detroit River don't contribute to runoff into the sewer system.
"We have self-contained drainage," said Salmons. "Our water is well protected and then it's drained back into the Detroit River directly. So we don't impact municipal storm water systems in most cases."
Salmons also questions whether the city has the authority to levy the surcharge on a federal entity such as the Port Authority.
Tim Byrne, the CAO of the Essex Region Conservation Authority, agrees organizations which either reduce the amount of runoff they contribute or don't contribute at all should get some special consideration from the city.
"And so to assess today the same rate for another property, just on square footage or area it needs to be tweaked and it needs to have further considerations," said Byrne.
Ward 9 Coun. Kieran McKenzie, who sits on the city environment committee, agrees it would be fair to take into account an organization's special circumstances.
"So if there are special circumstances on certain properties where the water isn't going directly into the sewer system I think it'd be more than reasonable for the city to be engaged with those partners," said McKenzie.
"But at the end of the day, we're searching for a system that's, from a tax perspective, fair for everybody."
Chamber of Commerce president Rakesh Naidu says several businesses have raised concerns to the chamber and St. Clair College vice president John Fairley says the college also has concerns about how the new surcharge would affect the college.
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with files from Dalson Chen