VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) — Public Works said old stormwater systems are the reason people in Virginia Beach will see another increase in their stormwater utility fees.
It’s part of this proposal for the 2019-2024 Capital Improvement Plan or CIP.
In the Virginia Beach Public Works budget proposal presentation for City Council on Tuesday. The proposed funding is $270.7 million for all 6 years.
The budget covers projects to put in gates, pipes, ditches, lakes and more to mitigate the stormwater flooding.
Public Works told 13News Now they need to make these improvements because their stormwater systems are old.
So last year, city council approved a deal in their budget. They added 76 cents per month, about 9 dollars a year to the stormwater fee for each household. Each year another 9 dollars is added on top of the existing fee for 5 years.
Cecelia Christian said she’s lived through 3 floods, but she thinks, city council might want to rethink continually increasing the stormwater fee at tomorrow’s meeting.
"If I was still in the neighborhood, [where her house was flooded] I would be willing to pay more," Christian said. "But this neighborhood not so much."
Windsor Woods resident, Bob Vanderwerf said he knows how bad the flooding can get as well.
He said, "You can’t get in and you can’t get out. So you’re just stuck."
So he thinks increasing the Stormwater utility fees could result in positive changes.
One of the recently completed city stormwater projects runs behind Bellamy Manor. Nearby resident, Susan Segeleon said the project potentially made flooding worse.
She said city work crews, "went around the bend. Then, they did not continue on around. Instead, they left it the way it was, so now you’ve got an uneven ditch there was water doesn’t go uphill."
Segeleon said flooding happens right next to her home.
"It never came over, but it came up to the top of the bank. Now with the rocks in there taking up space where the water would be running because… I’m afraid it might flood," said Segeleon.
The Virginia Beach city council workshop meeting will be at city hall on Tuesday at 4 p.m. The public is welcome to sit in and hear more about the proposed stormwater plans.