A New Fee For Western Springs Homeowners?

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL — Western Springs trustees this week voted to study possible ways to get money for stormwater improvements, including a fee for homeowners.

Recently, the village looked at the stormwater fees in Downers Grove and Wilmette. Such fees are based on the amount of impervious surfaces on a property — the areas where water cannot naturally go into the ground. Such surfaces include pavement, decks and the footprints of buildings.

One village official, Casey Biernacki, said he lives in Downers Grove and that his stormwater fee is $144 a year. The money from such fees can only be used for stormwater improvements.

The trustees decided to go forward with a study on such fees. Trustee Scott Lewis dissented, but did not explain why.

Trustee James Tyrrell praised village staffers for looking into financial avenues. And Trustee Nicole Chen said that with the fees, the village could go out for bond funding for stormwater improvements.