Stormwater Committee

Stormwater Committee Meeting July 25, 2022 Human Resources Training Room 1. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 6:10 PM. 2. Roll Call: Roll was called by Barbara Brumbaugh Committee Members in Attendance: Roger Baxter (Committee Chair) Michael Poyner Mario Aponte Vic Nicholls Kevin Walker Crystal Bloom (PW Asst City Engineer) Ross Brockwell (PW Operations Administrator) Barbara Brumbaugh (PW Environmental Program Manager) Cory Wolfe (Assistance City Attorney) Absent Committee Members Todd Reigle Traycie West-Pinkoski Markiella Moore Michael Battle Laura Mae (Alternate) Citizens in Attendance: None 3. Meeting Minutes There was a motion to approve the 6/27/22 meeting minutes. The motion was seconded and carried. 4. Citizen Comments None -1- 5. PW Operations Report, Ross Brockwell o Ross presented the Operations Report. He pointed out that some of the numbers are lower and the service level is down. They have lost 3-4 people and some equipment was out of service last month. o Ross showed some recent project photos. The first was the North Canal/Glencoe Ditch. Mike P. asked how it was cleaned. They used a boom mower and excavator. Asphalt millings were put on the dirt road for access. o Ross also showed photos from other projects including a ditch cleaning at Poindexter and D St; a project at Margaret Booker Drive, and Pocaty Rd – which required an excavator and dump truck. o Kevin asked if the heat has been an issue. Ross said the Crew Leaders manage that. o Vic asked if there are any of these types of photos online so that people can see what’s going on in Stormwater. Staff will follow up with Jason Brown about this. o Vic said that people always ask “where are the inmates?” Mike P. asked if the inmates volunteer. Ross said there are limits on who can work. There are limits on the sentence and they must be non-violent offenders. Every 3- 4 inmates is required to have a Deputy supervising so there is tight control. The City now has one position that is a “transition” position. The inmate is still serving their sentence but is now employed by the City. o Roger asked about utility markings and how quickly ditches are cleaned once water lines are marked. Ross said usually within the same week. 6. PW-Engineering Update, Crystal Bloom o Crystal informed the Committee that staff met recently to discuss the comments received on the City’s Resilience Plan. Responses are being prepared and will be distributed to the Committee soon. o Crystal gave a presentation on the City’s Pro Rata Fee Program. Around 1985 when the Master Drainage Plan was developed the City began collecting pro-rata drainage fees. They are applied at the sub-basin level, and look at future land use o The fees are used for drainage outfalls and downstream improvements that will be needed once an area is fully developed in accordance with the Land Use Plan. o Vic asked what happens when a pond is inadequate and later the taxpayers must pay for it. Crystal mentioned the cumulative impact of infill lot development which could cause a problem in older developments. o Vic mentioned that she has seen one house turn into 4 homes in the Norfolk Highlands area. Crystal pointed to Virginia Beach which has higher design standards. o Kevin asked about new development Home Owners Associations and who would be responsible for the ponds, specifically Hickory Landing. Crystal said that if it takes public drainage then there is some shared responsibility between the owners and the City. The City requires an impoundment easement around the pond. -2-  o Roger says he’s seen a situation where there was a property that ended up with 6 homes on it. Crystal said that the intent is to capture larger improvements. She explained the calculation used to determine pro-rata fees. o Vic asked about permeable pavement. Barbara said it is expensive and very expensive to maintain. It gets clogged easily so it only really works in areas without much vegetation or sediment. o Vic asked how the developers are told about the fees. Crystal said that Development and Permits collects the funds early in the development process. They are put into a special account. During the budget process the Capital Program can look at projects in sub-basins. Sam told the Committee earlier that in 30 years about $5 million was collected. o Kevin asked if the developers pay up front. Crystal said they can, or they can pay for the downstream improvement directly. o The Master Drainage Plan is the collection of the City’s watershed studies. 7. Committee Bylaws Discussion, Cory Wolfe o Cory explained the duties and purpose of the Committee and that it is spelled out in City Code. The Bylaws don’t grant any powers or responsibilities that are not in City code. o Kevin stated that he doesn’t want to water down the Committee responsibilities. He asked if the code takes precedence. o Roger wants the Bylaws to conform to City code and would like them to be instructions for future members. He stated that he was always told that Committee members could bring the concerns of other citizens to the Committee. o Kevin wants to ensure that the Committee members are strong advocates. o There was a discussion about public comment. Vic asked if we could provide 5 minutes per speaker and the Committee agreed. o Markiella (not present at the meeting) provided Roger with a comment about annual meetings with City Council. She wants to see annual meetings and believes the Committee needs to strengthen the relationship with City Council. o Roger would like to make the meetings available to the public virtually and requested that City staff and the Committee investigate making the meetings virtually accessible to citizens. The Committee unanimously agreed. o Cory will continue to revise the Bylaws per the discussion. A quorum of the Committee will need to approve them at a separate (future) meeting. -3- 8. Old Business/New Business o None. The meeting was adjourned at 7:39 pm. Minutes approved by the Committee _____________________________ Date _____________________________ -4-