AGENDA #5a

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

SUBJECT:      Status Report on the Town’s Stormwater Management Program Master Plan

DATE:                        January 23, 2006

The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the development and implementation of the Town’s Stormwater Management Program Master Plan.  We will provide periodic reports to the Council about the Stormwater Management Program Master Plan as major work items are accomplished and identified milestones are achieved.

BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION

In November 2003, the Town Council received a report from the Stormwater Utility Policy Review Committee that included:  1) Stormwater Management Program Mission Statement; 2) Roles and Responsibilities Statement, and; 3) Stormwater Management Program Priorities.

The first Program priority was the “development and implementation of a comprehensive Stormwater Management Program Master Plan that supports all of the Program priorities.”  During its deliberations concerning the proposed stormwater management utility, the Council agreed on the importance of developing a master plan to guide future activities of the proposed fee-based Town Stormwater Management Program. 

In June 2004, the Council enacted “An Ordinance Establishing a Stormwater Management Utility and a Stormwater Management Utility Advisory Board for the Town of Chapel Hill.”  Appointments to the Stormwater Management Utility Advisory Board were completed in January 2005.  Subsequently, Town staff in consultation with the Advisory Board began the process of securing the services of a consultant to assist the Town with development of a Stormwater Management Program Master Plan.

A dynamic, progressive and cohesive Master Plan would identify services and policies necessary to successfully address the Town’s objectives and mandates for comprehensive community-wide stormwater management.  The Master Plan would also specify, prioritize and schedule short-term and long-term activities necessary to implement identified objectives and to accomplish mandated requirements.

In September 2005, the Council authorized the Town Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with Jewell Engineering Consultants for the development of the Town’s Stormwater Management Program Master Plan.  Since that time, the consultant has met with Town staff and the Advisory Board to develop a scope of work for year one of a comprehensive multi-year Stormwater Management Program Master Plan. 

The following are key tasks proposed for year one of the Master Plan:

1. Review of  the Town’s existing Stormwater Management Program

This review will provide a thorough understanding of the relationships between policies, objectives and regulatory requirements; stormwater management accomplishments and challenges; surface water quality and physical watershed conditions; local and regional stormwater management issues and endeavors; past and present stormwater management funding and project activities; past and present routine “day-to-day” stormwater  management operations; and current stormwater management services and service levels in Chapel Hill. 

The review will include a baseline survey of citizens in Chapel Hill to help estimate current public perception, needs, and expectations relative to the Town’s Stormwater Management Program.  The consultant will also facilitate a series of meetings with key internal and external stakeholder groups to assess additional baseline data from which we will measure progress as the Master Plan is implemented. 

This task will culminate with the preparation of a report that will discuss the current status of stormwater management in Chapel Hill with reference to identified program goals (see Attachment 1).  The report will also document and comment on the baseline program evaluation data provided by citizens and focus groups.

2. Development of proposed activities and objectives for years two through five of a multi-year Stormwater Management Program Master Plan

In year one, work items applicable to this task include:

• Defining the direction and vision for the Stormwater Management Program Master Plan and enumerating key elements of the envisioned Master Plan

• Developing a strategic framework and action plan necessary to advance the Stormwater Management Program mission and goals

• Obtaining and evaluating input from citizens and stakeholders with regard to the Master Plan framework and implementation process

• Identifying Program performance measures to evaluate progress

CONCLUSION

Development of the Stormwater Management Program Master Plan is expected to be a multi-year, multi-phase process that will be contingent upon funding availability in succeeding years.   We expect to continue the relationship with the selected consultant, Jewell Engineering, for a period of up to five years provided that the consultant’s performance is satisfactory and that funding is available.  Contract extensions will be evaluated each year. 

We will continue to provide periodic reports to the Town Council about the Stormwater Management Program Master Plan as major work items are accomplished and identified milestones are achieved. 

ATTACHMENTS

1.         Stormwater Program Goals (p. 4).