The City Council delayed action Monday on a proposed $11.8 million stormwater bond issue that the public works departments wants on the May ballot.

The council held a public hearing on the proposal but granted a request to delay action for a week. The Lincoln Independent Business Association requested the delay so it could study the proposal.

The public still will be allowed to address the topic at the next council meeting.

Lincoln voters approved a $10 million stormwater bond issue two years ago. Some council members questioned the portion of the money that went toward preliminary engineering and design of future projects. Nicole Fleck-Tooze, special projects administrator for public works, estimated about $1 million of the 2005 bond issue went toward those kinds of costs.

All of the projects are designed to prevent or reduce flooding, improve water quality in streams and lakes and prevent streambed erosion.

Aside from general funds – which aren’t in abundance these days – bond issues are the only financing mechanism that Lincoln has to improve its stormwater sewer system, so the city generally asks voters to approve a bond every other year.

A general obligation bond issue is akin to the city taking out a home equity loan to pay for home improvements; voters would be agreeing to increase property taxes to make the payments on the bond.

To see a full list of the projects that would be done, go to Lincoln.ne.gov and type in the keyword “watershed.”

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.