ST. CLOUD, Fla. — For years St. Cloud residents have had to wade through the water to get to their homes as ponds and creeks overflowed.
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But now, there will be a way to solve the flooding problem, but it will come at a cost.
The stormwater utility fee will increase from six dollars monthly to just over 12.
The City of St. Cloud said the first project, partially funded from that fee, will fix drains on California and 11th Streets.
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In the Savanna Park community, the floodwaters ushered in by Hurricane Ian are not a too-distant memory for residents.
“We were literally walking in the water on the sidewalks,” said St. Cloud resident Edward McLeod.
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St. Cloud resident Phillip Lutz also experienced the high water of last October’s Hurricane. “The nearby retention pond overflowed, and these drains couldn’t handle the 18 inches of rain,” said Lutz.
This last time they just had too much water, which couldn’t drain out of there fast enough.
With a new hurricane season, neighbors will pay double monthly stormwater fees soon.
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Shala Stubbs said, “Why did it have to be doubled? Generally, they’ll go up a couple of bucks, but doubling it is like a big one. That’s a lot of money.”
The City of St. Cloud said that the increase is long overdue.
According to the City, the fees haven’t been raised since 2007, and they need the money to expand the size of stormwater pipes to prevent flooding.
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“The original area of St. Cloud is very aging infrastructure, so to help us keep up with the need to improve and expand those structures, this increase in fees is necessary,” said MaryEmma Bachelder, the City of St. Cloud, Communications Director.
While impact fees cover the cost of new development, the city still needs additional capacity, and the doubled fees will help deliver just that.
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“Look, our ditch can’t handle the water. Once they get to handle the water, there’s nothing else for them to do with the money,” said Edward Lutz.
“Resolve it and then take us back to six bucks,” added Edward McLeod.
The new stormwater fee in St. Cloud is actually higher than in many neighboring cities.
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