At its work session Monday night, the Falls Church City Council agreed on a basic fee rate to charge for everybody for the impervious surfaces on their business, home or church properties. The rate will be $18 per 200 square feet of impervious surface.

There was very little objection to this as presented by Bill Hicks of the City’s Utilities Department. There was, however, considerable debate and no resolution yet about discounts or other perks that could accrue if property owners undertook to make improvements on their land to diminish water runoff. That will be put forward to the next Council business meeting next Tuesday. Vice Mayor David Snyder expressed concern for the impact of this new fee on small businesses. When City Manager Wyatt Shields said that the City has spoken with business owners, Snyder shot back, “What are they saying back?” Shields said “there is no question but that there will be significant costs,” adding that delaying the first payment to June 2014 was in response to their “needing time to plan for it.” The fee would be effective Jan. 1, 2014 and the first payment would be due June 2014.