CROWN POINT | The city should consider imposing a stormwater fee to help ease the burden of unfunded mandates, Crown Point's public works director believes.

Jay Olson said city officials have been discussing the possibility of a stormwater fee for the past four years, and he would like to see one implemented as soon as possible. Olson said he would prefer the monthly fee to be from $2 to $5 per household, with the fee re-evaluated at the end of the year.

"It's not something we want to do; it's something we have to do," Olson said.

City Attorney David Nicholls said if city officials are interested in creating the fee, it would take some time to work out the details. For example, Nicholls said he would need to research the ability of the city to establish a new fee or rate structure since it would be a new revenue stream. He said he also would need to discuss the proposal with the city's financial consultant Greg Guerrettaz, who deals with the city's water utilities, to see if it would fit into an existing utility.

Then, the City Council would need to approve the new fee.

Olson said he'd like to see the fee because the city is dealing with unfunded mandates dealing with stormwater control.

The city is responsible for a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System, or MS-4, program. MS-4 is a federally mandated program that forces cities and towns to deal with pollution in stormwater. Each community is responsible for funding its program, and there is no state or federal funding for the mandate.