With the unanticipated onset of the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc on the pocketbooks of Oahu residents, officials with the Caldwell administration this week said they will delay a planned stormwater utility fee and fund until Hawaii’s economy improves.

The city is continuing with a second series of community meetings this week on the latest proposal to improve stormwater management and reduce the flow of stormwater into streams and the ocean.

The storm drain system catches runoff from streets, parking lots and yards. The runoff is generally not treated before it flows directly into streams and the ocean. This is separate from the sanitary sewer system, which carries wastewater from homes and businesses to treatment plants, where it is treated before reuse or release into the ocean.

The city’s storm drain proposal was changed following public input during gatherings held earlier this year. Due to the pandemic, the meetings are now taking place in a virtual setting.

The Department of Facility Maintenance had originally intended to move out bills establishing the program and the fund this summer with the hope of starting the program in July 2022. But the city’s decision will now delay the bills until at least next year, said Facility Maintenance Director Ross Sasamura. Because Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s second term is up at the end of the year, the delay means it will be up to his successor to figure out when to do it.

Besides navigating past the COVID-19 crisis, city officials said, the delay will allow the Facility Maintenance Department time to explore the possibility of, among other things, an islandwide storm water master plan; a detailed credit program for all property owners to earn credit for reducing storm runoff; a relief/hardship plan for seniors, nonprofit organizations and low-income families; and a neighborhood investment plan for the reinvestment of the fee in all Oahu neighborhoods.

The creation of a utility and its related fee and dedicated fund, have falsely been interpreted as the creation of a new city agency. City officials insist that’s not the intent. With stormwater-related activities almost certain to rise, creating the fund allows for the burden of paying for those services to shift to all property owners, including the federal government and others who pay little or no property taxes.

Stormwater-related actions include addressing runoff water quality, minimizing pollution from construction sites, providing regular stream clearing and address local nuisance flooding through green infrastructure projects, city officials said.

Under the proposal, the amount of the stormwater utility fee would be calculated based on the amount of impervious surfaces on a property. Those who make improvements or find ways to reuse the nonpotable water — for instance, to irrigate their yards — would be eligible for credits or rebates.

The U.S. Environmental Protect Administration is requiring all municipalities to take specific actions to reduce stormwater runoff and pollution. More than 2,000 municipalities in the U.S. and Canada already have adopted a stormwater fee approach, city officials said.

Five meetings are being held this week, all of them online, and they will include a slideshow presentation, a question-and-answer period and polling questions: 2 p.m. today, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, 8 a.m. Wednesday, 8 p.m. Thursday and 2 p.m. Saturday. Four meetings were held last week.

To participate, click on stormwaterutilityoahu.org during the meeting times. That’s also the link for additional information.