The City of Rogers and FUSE are working together to give Rogers a durable way to pay for stormwater management as Northwest Arkansas continues to grow. The City has strong technical groundwork in place, including a completed citywide hydraulic model, a draft Municipal Stormwater Management Plan, and a dedicated stormwater engineer, and it meets its MS4 permit obligations through general revenues today. As rainfall events intensify and infrastructure demands rise, leadership sees the need for a dedicated funding source to cover operations, maintenance, compliance, capital improvements, and watershed initiatives. The fellowship will draw on proven models, especially Fayetteville’s stormwater utility, while designing an approach tailored to Rogers.
Starting in Fall 2026, FUSE Fellow Reginald M. Parker will hold a listening tour with Community Development, Engineering, GIS, Rogers Water Utilities, Finance, the City Attorney, Council members, Benton County, regional planners, developers, and community stakeholders, and will study Fayetteville’s structure, rates, credits, and engagement approach in depth. While the stormwater engineer leads the technical work, Parker will serve as organizational builder and project lead, overseeing a rate study, financial projections, governance options, staffing plans, ordinance development, and billing integration. Parker will also run public outreach with residents, businesses, schools, and institutions and coordinate with NWARPC and neighboring jurisdictions. Year One deliverables include a feasibility and organizational framework, a rate study and financial strategy, a policy and ordinance package, a public engagement strategy, and a regional implementation roadmap, leading to a Council-ready utility package and lasting utility capacity by Fall 2028.
