Applications available through Stormwater Environmental Utility webpages
It took slightly less than 40 seconds on March 26 for the Sarasota County commissioners to unanimously approve amendments to the county’s Stormwater Environmental Utility ordinance to allow property owners to get rebates of up to $5,000 for implementing best management practices.
As a county staff memo in the March 26 agenda packet explained, on July 13, 2022, the County Commission seated at that time passed a resolution that updated the assessment methodology for the Stormwater Environmental Utility (SEU). That resolution included the phasing out of the county’s Mitigation Credit Policy and replaced it “with a new set of incentives to be established by the [commission].”
Then, during their regular meeting on Dec. 17, 2024, the memo continued, the commissioners “considered and adopted the SEU Incentive Rebate Program,” which had been crafted “to encourage property owners to implement new stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) on their property …”
Up to two practices per property would be eligible for the rebate, the memo pointed out.
The Incentive Rebate Program, the memo said, includes a specified process for county staff to accept applications, pre-approve eligible best management practices, schedule inspections, and facilitate property owners’ requests for rebate payments from the Sarasota County Clerk of Court’s Office.
That March 26 county staff memo added, “Upon completion of construction, a property owner can request a rebate of between $50.00 and $5,000.00, depending on the BMP [best management practice] installed. The rebate amounts reflect the extent of the stormwater burden reduction achieved by the BMPs, ensuring that rebates are tied to measurable improvements. This approach aligns with the principle of allocating costs fairly based on the stormwater burden generated by each property.”
Further, the memo explained, “Sarasota County and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection have determined that BMP improvements made by property owners directly benefit the specific and surrounding properties by improving the water quality and reducing the volume of stormwater runoff. While individual property owners will receive rebates for their efforts, the improvements, such as reduced and improved stormwater runoff, benefit the entire watershed basin. Improved runoff, reduced flooding, and improved stormwater infrastructure diminish the strain on the stormwater management system, allowing for more sustainable stormwater management and a healthier environment and contributing to the SEU’s goals of protecting public health, safety, and welfare of citizens,” the memo pointed out.
The credits that had been provided through the county’s Mitigation Credit Policy had been “fully phased out,” the memo further noted.
Funding for the incentives will come from the approved budget of the Stormwater Environmental Utility, the memo said.
The following slide explains details about the incentive rebate program:
Among the amendments to the ordinance that the commissioners approved on March 26 was one indicating that the county administrator or his designee will be responsible for approving the applications submitted for the incentive rebates. The ordinance added, “Applications will be processed, and rebates issued, on a first-come, first-served basis, up to the total aggregate value budgeted for the program in a given fiscal year, as approved by the Board of County Commissioners.”
Further, information about the program was to be made available on the webpages of the county’s Stormwater Division, which is part of the Public Works Department. The details about the incentive rebates, The Sarasota News Leaderfound, are offered through the RainCheck webpages. A table on that page lists tools and best management practices, along with the eligible rebate amounts for them.
Additionally, one link on the RainCheck webpages takes a reader to the Low Impact Design (LID) webpage that is part of the county’s Water Atlas.
That page provides links to four best management practices: rain gardens and bioswales; downspout planter boxes; replacement of impervious areas; and modified downspouts.
Moreover, a number of documents related to the program are available as downloadable PDFs on the RainCheck webpages.
During the March 26 board meeting, the item was listed as a Presentation Upon Request, which — as the heading indicates — means the board members can forgo any comments from staff or the applicant, which was, in this case, the county. Usually, agenda items are so designated if staff has not found them to be controversial or to have generated a lot of public opposition.
Commissioner Mark Smith ended up making the motion to approve the amendments to the Stormwater Environmental Utility ordinance, and Commissioner Teresa Mast seconded it. The motion passed 4-0, with Commissioner Tom Knight absent.