Richard Jaescke: City’s stormwater fees come at high cost to farmers 

Published: 05-19-2023 2:32 PM

The Northampton Agricultural Commission is an advisory group, composed of farmers who represent and advocate for the farming community in greater Northampton. Over the years we have heard again and again from struggling farmers that the city of Northampton’s stormwater fees are burdensome and can total hundreds or thousands of dollars a year.

Stormwater fees are assessed on all businesses and residential properties in the city, and were implemented in 2014 to help fund the improvements necessary to reduce flooding and improve water quality. After many decades of deferred maintenance, the federal government required the city to better maintain and improve our flood control system, especially in our hotter and often wetter climate.

The fees were meant to equitably distribute those costs among residents and businesses. However, we believe farmers are paying more than their fair share for stormwater system maintenance.

Northampton farmland absorbs an enormous amount of rainfall and provides a great deal of stormwater services. Some farms have road water which flows onto their farm fields. Many of the barns that the city labels “impervious surfaces” are assessed stormwater fees at the highest rates. These farms are far from city roads and drain onto farmland, not into the city’s infrastructure.

Farmers deeply appreciate the support given to them by our community. That being said, with floods, droughts, the doubled cost of fertilizer, diesel and seed, it has gotten incredibly difficult for farmers to survive much less thrive financially.

Restructuring the stormwater fees is one of the ways our city can reduce the economic stress on our farmers. Whether the farms are organic or conventional, the stormwater fee is another added burden. They understand the need for stormwater infrastructure maintenance. Northampton needs to restructure the fees to make it more equitable for all farmers.

We support and encourage farming in our city. From what farmers are telling the Northampton Agricultural Commission, we feel it is time for the city to recognize the dilemmas farmers are facing. They want to support stormwater management, but not at the high expense it is costing them because of their farmland.

Richard Jaescke, vice-chairman

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Northampton Agricultural Commission

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