Questions were few in number during Lynchburg’s first interactive television broadcast Tuesday night.
The program, “Stormwater and You,” wrapped up 13 minutes early after the string of questions from audience members and viewers at home, who were invited to communicate by phone and email, had dried up. A total of 10 questions were submitted.
The city organized Tuesday’s live broadcast, which was aired on LTV Channel 15, in order to share information about new storm water regulations that will affect Lynchburg and possibly give rise to a new property fee next year.
City Council had previously asked for more citizen engagement on the issue. Staff had considered organizing a series of ward meetings, a method it has used before, but opted to try a televised Q&A format instead in the hopes that the more convenient medium would spark higher participation.
This was the first time the city had ever put on a live interactive broadcast. The program, which was scheduled to span an hour, began with a presentation on storm water management, water quality issues and the renewed push to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, which is driving the changes under way in Lynchburg.
Questions submitted dealt with the details and timing of the fee and related regulations, as well as how property owners could mitigate storm water problems on their own land. Residents who raised site-specific issues were asked to contact utilities staff directly for follow-up.
After the event, Keith Petrie, a self-employed landscaper and one of three community members in the audience, said he supported what the city was doing.
“Everyone is going to gripe about cost, especially in these hard economic times, but the reality is that it’s going to cost less now than it will to clean it up later,” he said. “And everyone has to do their fair part.”
The city is proposing to create a new storm water fee that would be levied against every property in the city according to how much impervious surface, i.e. rooftops and paving, it contains. Under proposed formulas, an average homeowner would pay about $3 a month.
Council has been asked to vote on the fee proposal by October and has appeared to be grudgingly warming up to the idea, although staff members stressed Tuesday that no decision has been made yet.
Residents can still submit questions about the storm water program and the proposed fee by emailing lynchburgislistening@gmail.com or calling the Citizens First hotline at 856-CITY.
Answers to questions received will be posted online at www.lynchburgislistening.com.
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