STONE HARBOR – The Borough Council will seek new bids for consultants to study the viability of a stormwater utility for the town after it rejected the one bid it received on a previous solicitation.

The bid the borough received led members of the town’s Flood Mitigation Committee to conclude that its bid documents required “substantial revisions to the specifications.” The council at its Feb. 4 meeting indicated it plans to make changes to the documents and then solicit new bids.

The question of whether the borough should establish a stormwater utility has been an on-again, off-again one. As far back as November 2022 the town discussed taking advantage of the 2019 state statute that allows for municipal stormwater utilities. In 2023 the borough was not successful in winning a state grant to support the required feasibility study.

The council allocated $375,000 for the feasibility study in the 2024 budget, but the council was never united behind it. The study continued to be postponed.

The council finally decided to move ahead with the study at an Oct. 1, 2024, meeting on a 4-2 vote, with council members Robin Casper and Tim Carney voting against. Carney has since left his council seat, having been elected mayor in November.

The attractiveness of a stormwater utility lies in its ability to establish a revenue stream separate from the property tax and based on factors like levels of impervious surfaces and amount of stormwater runoff rather than assessed value of property.

Its supporters argue that it is a more equitable way of having those who contribute the most to stormwater runoff pay more. The utilities can also take on new debt separate from the general obligation debt of the municipality.

Stone Harbor is looking for ways to fund flood mitigation efforts without dependence on the general fund budget.

Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.