Portfolio Stormwater Fee Analysis and Capital Improvement Plan

• Stormwater Rate Study: WithersRavenel re-evaluated and revised Bessemer City’s stormwater rate structure to address both short- and long-term needs.
• Capital Improvement Plan (CIP): Developed project scopes and cost estimates for a 10-year period, including MS4 compliance, and summarized capital funding and debt service requirements.
• Financial Strategy and Models: Created a project schedule, determined a capital funding strategy, and provided financial and stormwater rate models, along with a draft stormwater ordinance update.

WithersRavenel undertook a Stormwater Program Rate Study for the City of Bessemer City. Our firm re-evaluated the existing stormwater rate structure and drafted a revised structure that addressed the City’s short- and long-term operations, maintenance and capital needs.

WithersRavenel’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) strategy included developing preliminary project scopes for stormwater projects and associated rough costs for a 10-year time frame as well as rough costs for annual MS4 compliance. Our Finance team summarized capital funding assumptions for proposed projects along with related debt service requirements.

We also worked with Bessemer City to develop financial assumptions, reviewed relevant questions and assumptions with the project leadership group at one meeting and summarized all assumptions regarding capital outlay and debt-funded capital projects.

As part of the final draft, WithersRavenel created a schedule of projects according to prioritization and anticipated fund reserves. Our team also determined a Capital Funding Strategy for implementing the CIP and establishment of a reasonable fund reserve to support planned capital projects and emergency expenditures.

WithersRavenel also provided a financial analysis model, a stormwater rate model, and a draft stormwater ordinance update.