SANTA MONICA : New Fees Target Runoff Water
Santa Monica residents and commercial property owners will soon be hit with a new fee to help clean up the city’s dirty gutter water before it flows into the Santa Monica Bay.
The City Council on Tuesday approved annual fees ranging from an average of $15 for homeowners to $157 a year for those who own commercial parcels. A decision by the Santa Monica Rent Control Board will allow apartment owners to pass the charges along to tenants after Jan. 1 at an average annual cost of about $13 per apartment unit.
Councilman Robert Holbrook described the new assessment as “a wash” because property owners will probably see a reduction in storm water fees now levied by government agencies on residential water bills.
“We’re asking the homeowner to spend about $10 a year [more] to stop the pollution,” Holbrook said.
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