Stormwater tax OK’d

Portland residents could be paying as much as $6 more per month in utilities starting January.

Portland City Council passed an ordinance at its meeting Tuesday establishing a stormwater tax beginning next year.

How much the tax will be and how the funds will be used is set to be decided in future council meetings.

Council also tabled an ordinance that would lead to city employees getting a 3% raise across the board.

A preliminary study indicates the stormwater tax could be around $5 to $6 a month, Portland Mayor John Boggs said. It would allow the city to be eligible for as much as $500,000 in grants from state departments, he added.

Boggs cited the city’s need to pay for projects to combat downtown flooding and to abide by its long-term control plan to improve the functionality of the wastewater treatment plan as justifications for the tax.

“I don’t think there is an ordinance that we could pass that would have more impact on the economic future of Portland than a stormwater utility would,” Boggs said.

Council president Kent McClung said the city should be looking for any revenue streams it can to offset economic complications caused by COVID-19 as well as tax caps.

Money was the only concern council members mentioned when deciding to table discussion of awarding employees a 3% raise, citing a concern over future budget constraints caused by the recession earlier this year and a possible future recession gas-lit by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“Quite frankly, I can’t vote for a 3% increase,” said council member Dave Golden, the first member to speak against the proposal at the meeting.

He added the risk of a high amount of health insurance claims by city employees next year could lead to the city having to pay out a lot of money, so a big raise should be avoided.

Portland clerk-treasurer Lori Phillips said the city won’t know for sure whether health insurance claims have gone up or down until November but that all indications have been that claims haven’t risen significantly.

“We’re in good shape,” said Phillips, who was tasked with providing council in the coming weeks with projections based on different levels of raises in addition to information on any raises council has passed in the past five years.

Just minutes after concerns were raised over health insurance claims, Boggs announced a street department employee tested positive for COVID-19.

The employee is predominantly tasked with mowing lawns, so his contact with other city employees is limited, Boggs said. As a precaution, four city employees who were known to have close contact with the infected person are staying home from work.

In other business, council members Don Gillespie, Matt Goldsworthy, Janet Powers, Golden and McClung, absent Michele Brewster and Mike Aker, heard:

•From Powers that a citizen reported concern over bike riders using city sidewalks. Boggs said there is no existing ordinance that references whether or not bikes are allowed on sidewalks.

•From Boggs that he received a list of recommended modifications to out-of-date or no longer necessary parking and speed-limit signs from Portland Police Chief Nathan Springer and a proposal to update city signs will be presented to council in the near future.

•From Missy Puterbaugh of Remember When that she plans on hosting a golf cart scavenger hunt based in front of her store at 103 W. Main St., Portland, on Sept. 20. Council voted to close Main Street in between Commerce and Meridian streets that afternoon to provide ample space for golf-cart-based detectives.