Item A: Adoption of 2007 Legislative Policies

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recycling. B. WATER AND ENDANGERED SPECIES/HABITAT 1. WATER QUALITY a. DEQ Permit Fees/Water Quality Program Funding The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issues National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and Water Pollution Control Facility permits. Permit fees include an application fee and an annual permit maintenance fee. The City opposes any effort to increase reliance on fees from local government to support statewide programs, believing that statewide water quality programs should be funded from the State General Fund. Permit and other fees should be based only upon the actual cost of issuing and administering the permits for the different permittees. The distribution of the costs should not result in one class of permittees subsidizing another class (large vs. small permittees or municipal vs. industrial permittees). The State should provide a clear accounting of the basis for any permit fees and of the allocation of fee revenue to permit program activities. The City alsobelieves more attention and resources should be focused on the current backlog of expired NPDES permits. The City further encourages the State to define the responsibility of non-point sources in the funding strategy for water quality program support. Local governments are required to establish fair and equitable user charges to sewerage system customers; a similar level of accountability should be incorporated into the DEQ's permit fee structure. b. Storm Water The City is committed to addressing storm water pollution. The City has developed a comprehensive storm water management plan, and has applied for City of Eugene Legislative Policies, 2007 Session With IGR Mtg 10/17 and 10/26 Amendments C:\Documents and Settings\ceexelf\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLK10B\LegPol2007Sesxx1.doc Updated on: 11/6/2006 By: Last saved by ceexmfw 61