Springs will not pursue liens for late bills

Colorado Springs property owners who haven't paid their Stormwater Enterprise bills won't have a lien slapped on their property, at least not this year, a city official said Wednesday.

Stormwater Enterprise officials said in 2007 that property liens could be used to collect unpaid bills, but so far that step hasn't been taken against anyone.

The city enterprise imposes fees on property owners based on the amount of a property covered by impervious surface, such as a concrete driveway. It uses the money, a projected $15.8 million next year, to repair and improve the city's system for collecting and channeling rain water.

From the beginning, the fee was controversial and some property owners haven't paid it.

Some refused, claiming it is a tax imposed illegally without voter approval, a view courts do not share. Others could be delinquent because out-of-town owners didn't receive the bill, or a bill may not have been sent to the proper business address, city officials said.

Residential stormwater bills can be a maximum of $13.65 per month. The bills can total $172.50 a month for nonprofits and public education institutions and up to $920 monthly for commercial, industrial and government property.

As of Oct. 26, the Stormwater Enterprise had received 88 percent of the amount it's billed this year, said city spokeswoman Mary Scott.

Putting a lien on a property for an unpaid bill lets the Stormwater Enterprise collect what's owed as part of the property taxes an owner must pay. But during the summer, City Manager Penelope Culbreth-Graft told her staff to hold off on certifying property liens.

"She just felt that we could do more outreach in terms of the large customers," Scott said.

Since then, workers have been trying to reach customers who owe more than $5,000 to ensure they've received the bills, Scott said. In the meantime, even people who owe less than that can escape a property lien. But the liens could be certified to the El Paso County Treasurer's Office any time in 2009, meaning they would appear on property owners' 2010 tax bills, Scott said.

Colorado Springs voters rejected a measure on the Nov. 4 ballot aimed at eliminating the Stormwater Enterprise by making fees voluntary.

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Contact the writer: 636-0187 or perry.swanson@gazette.com