By Karen Vance
Enquirer contributor

MILFORD - One of the largest landowners and developers in Milford was also one of the last businesses to know about a proposed storm-water utility fee that could cost it thousands.

Dennis Eaton, vice president of Cincinnati United Contractors Inc., told council Tuesday night that his company had never received notification of the utility proposal until reading about it in the Enquirer that day.

"I understand what they need to do, and they may have an equitable system for doing it," Eaton said. "But we spent millions of dollars working for stormwater upgrades on the property, and now we're being penalized because other businesses did not." The stormwater utility proposal, which has been in the works for more than two years and comes up for a vote before city council on Feb. 17, would create a $6 per month fee for single-family and two-family homes in the city. It also would impose a fee for commercial property owners based on the amount of impervious surface, such as parking lots, on the property.

Cincinnati United Contractors, the developer behind the Milford Commerce Center and River's Edge at Milford at Ohio 50 and Interstate 275, still owns 120 acres in the commerce center and two properties being leased to businesses there.

The fee could add up to $1,200 a month for each of those two properties, Eaton said.

Sara Imhulse, assistant to the city manager, said the city sent notices of the proposal and its three public meetings to businesses, not property owners, and placed advertisements in two newspapers.

Cincinnati United Contractors' notice was apparently sent to the wrong address, but the city had plans to send additional notices Wednesday for the next meeting, she said.

Vice-Mayor Jim Gradolf said that at that meeting, there would be time for additional discussion.

Council member Shannon Reynolds understood Eaton's concerns and apologized for the lack of notice but said the city has an urgent need to get the utility running because of Environmental Protection Agency requirements under the Clean Water Act.

"If someone can come up with a more equitable way, we're open to listen to it, but with the amount of work and research that has gone into this, I don't see that it can be found," Reynolds said.

Imhulse said the city does have plans to implement a credit system to provide businesses that have installed stormwater control systems, such as Cincinnati United Contractors, with discounted rates. That credit schedule is not expected to be completed until June. All credits would be retroactive.