Municipalities barred from charging storm-water fees on farm and managed-forest properties

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice

A new restriction has been added preventing municipalities and local boards from imposing storm-water management fees or charges on portions of a property classified as farmland or managed forest under the Assessment Act. The prohibition covers fees tied to services, activities, costs, or use of municipal storm-water infrastructure. There is one exception: the ban does not apply if storm water from the farm or managed-forest portion of the property drains directly from an on-site storm sewer into a municipal storm sewer. Farm operators and managed-forest landowners who currently pay municipal storm-water charges should review whether those charges remain permissible under the new rules. Municipalities that levy such charges will need to assess whether any existing fee structures must be revised for affected property classes.

Who this affects: farm property owners · managed forest landowners · municipalities levying storm-water fees · local boards with storm-water programs