Hoover's $10 yearly stormwater fee raises about $603,500. The drainage budget is $3 million this year. A city panel is reviewing it and wants residents' questions.
Hoover collects about $603,500 a year from its stormwater fee. The city now spends several times that on drainage repairs, and a new city panel is reviewing how the program is run and paid for.
The panel, the Stormwater and Infrastructure Ad Hoc Committee, is asking residents to send in questions before its next meeting. The city announced the request in an Oct. 7 news flash. The meeting date has not been set, and the city said it will post public notice in advance.
The figures in this story come from the Stormwater Advisory Team presentation that the city linked from the same notice. Every page of it is marked “draft.”
What the stormwater fee raises
The fee is set by city Ordinance 18-2391. According to the presentation:
- owners of residential property pay a flat $10 a year
- owners of commercial property pay half a cent per square foot of commercial space, up to $3,000 a year
- schools, churches, cemeteries and the common areas of condominiums are exempt
- homeowners who are 65 or older, totally blind or permanently and totally disabled are exempt on their homestead, if the county tax assessor has already exempted them from property tax
The city estimates the fee brings in $603,504.73 a year. Hoover sits in two counties, and the estimate splits like this:
| County | Residential parcels | Commercial parcels |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | $131,140 | $257,543.94 |
| Shelby County | $79,950 | $134,870.79 |
The presentation says the stormwater operating budget is $292,350 in each of fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027. On top of that, the city set aside $3,020,000 for drainage maintenance in fiscal 2026 and $2,110,000 in fiscal 2027.
In fiscal 2025 the drainage maintenance line was $300,000. That year the city also budgeted $4.5 million for the Riverchase Village drainage job at U.S. 31 and Lorna Road.
The drainage projects
The presentation lists the city’s current drainage projects and where each one stands.
| Project | Problem the city found | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Lorna Road and U.S. 31, Riverchase Village | Damaged 84-inch metal pipe, fully blocked | Complete, $2,282,000 |
| Laredo Drive | Damaged 18-inch metal pipe, fully blocked | Complete, $85,058.40 |
| Chester Street | Collapsed 24-inch concrete pipe, fully blocked | Complete, $82,250 |
| Glenwood Road | Damaged 18-inch concrete pipe | Bids opened Sept. 30 |
| Green Valley, phases 1 and 2 | Damaged and undersized pipes on Napier, Paulette and Charlotte drives | Design 99%, to be advertised for bids in October |
| Lester Lane | Rusted 48-inch metal pipe causing sinkholes | Design complete, waiting on property owners’ signed waivers |
| Green Valley, phase 3 | Not described | Design 60% |
| Kingston Drive | Not described | Listed for fiscal 2026-27 |
Engineering staff plan to bring a recommendation on the Glenwood Road bids to the City Council at its Oct. 26 meeting, according to the presentation.
The Lester Lane job cannot go out to bid until every affected property owner has signed, the presentation says.
Calls to the city
The city logged 204 stormwater calls and requests in 2025. It has logged 141 so far this year, through September.
Each request is visited and researched by engineering staff and the city attorney’s office. Older developments and drainage work done without a permit, or done wrong, are the common problems, the presentation says.
Mapping the pipes
The city is building an inventory of the stormwater system it maintains, in seven zones. Two are finished:
- Zone 1, Greystone: 2,161 drainage structures, 31.6 miles of pipe and 0.76 miles of open channel
- Zone 2, Green Valley and Bluff Park: 2,618 drainage structures, 31.8 miles of pipe and 6.7 miles of open channel
Zone 3 is next. Each zone takes 12 to 18 months. The stated goal is to finish all seven and then draw up a 10-year stormwater capital plan for the council to consider. The presentation says that would let the city fix problems before they fail, not after.
The city is also rewriting its stormwater ordinance, last updated in 2010, to match its state permit. The draft changes include higher permit fees, stronger penalties for builders and developers who break the rules, and yearly inspections of detention ponds.
Who sits on the panel
The presentation names council member Derrick Murphy, who holds Place 5, as chair. The other members it lists are:
- council member Ashley Lovell, Place 3
- council member Khristi Driver, Place 4
- City Administrator Brian Muenger
- City Engineer Scott Promer
- Jefferson County Engineer Beth Kornegay
- City Attorney Scott Barnett
- Jeff Rogers, listed as a citizen member
The City Council and the mayor set up the group as a temporary advisory body, the presentation says.
What it means for you
- Ask your question now. The committee takes questions through the city’s stormwater questions form. The city lists drainage, flooding, roads, utilities and planned neighborhood work as topics.
- Report a drainage problem to the city’s stormwater hotline at 205-739-6888 or through the city’s SeeClickFix portal.
- Know whose ditch it is. The presentation says the city maintains drainage in its right-of-way. A drainage easement across a private yard is the property owner’s to keep clear, with no sheds, fences or large trees on it. If the city finds a problem is the owner’s responsibility, it says so in writing, and the owner can appeal with new evidence.
- Meet council members Tuesday. The City Council holds a town hall meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the meeting room at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, 5508 Stadium Trace Parkway. The city has not listed topics.
- Senior and disability exemptions. If you are 65 or older, blind or disabled and already exempt from property tax on your home, the ordinance exempts you from the fee too. Our Hoover property taxes guide covers the homestead exemptions.
Drainage jobs that close part of a street are on our road construction and closures page. The city’s engineering and public works numbers are in our who to call at City Hall guide.
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