CT HB06497

Municipalities may designate or establish a stormwater authority by ordinance to develop and implement stormwater management programs, including construction/post-construction runoff control and pollution abatement from existing land uses.

Stormwater authorities may levy fees on property owners approved by the municipal legislative body, with fees based on criteria including impervious surface area, land use type, and property valuation; fees cannot be levied on farm, forest, or open space land except on areas with impervious surfaces.

Each stormwater authority must present an annual budget to the municipal legislative body for approval, with proposed fees not exceeding projected expenditures; the legislative body may approve lesser amounts but cannot approve higher amounts than proposed.

Stormwater authorities in distressed municipalities with populations of 28,000 or fewer constitute a body politic and corporate with power to sue, acquire property, contract, borrow money by bond issuance, and enter property for surveys and examinations.

Unpaid stormwater fees become delinquent 30 days after the due date and accrue interest at the same rate as delinquent property taxes, with unpaid fees constituting a lien on the property; all provisions take effect July 1, 2021.