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EPA REGION 6 8 TH ANNUAL MS4 OPERATOR’S CONFERENCE SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, JUNE 2006 An Introduction to Stormwater Quality Ordinance Writing: Examples from the Field MICHAEL F. BLOOM, PE, CFM, CPSWQ, DEE Associate. TOPICS. Ordinance writing process Required ordinance components

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  1. EPA REGION 68TH ANNUAL MS4 OPERATOR’S CONFERENCESAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, JUNE 2006An Introduction to Stormwater Quality Ordinance Writing: Examples from the FieldMICHAEL F. BLOOM, PE, CFM, CPSWQ, DEEAssociate

  2. TOPICS • Ordinance writing process • Required ordinance components • Flexible vs. inflexible approaches • Other considerations • How to adopt an ordinance • Traps and pitfalls • Repercussions of poor writing • References • Questions

  3. ORDINANCE WRITING PROCESS • Identify problems and issues • Formulate objectives • Develop policies • Write ordinance

  4. IDENTIFY PROBLEMS AND ISSUES • Clean Water Act compliance • Flood damage reduction • Floodplain management • Open space preservation • Water quality • Erosion and sediment control • Rapid development • Operations and maintenance • Funding • Drainage infrastructure capacity and growth

  5. FORMULATE OBJECTIVES • Purpose: • State official government position • Communicate to stakeholders, staff, and elected officials • Provide basis for interpretation of rules • Provide program direction • Identify long term impacts • Identify necessary program changes • Evaluate implementation • Format: • Program specific (e.g. separate objectives for floodplain development and illicit discharge control) • Focused

  6. Source: http://www.ci.arlington.tx.us/planning/pdf/Subdivision_Regulations_20050621.pdf

  7. DEVELOP POLICIES • Central to ordinance • Describe how to achieve objectives • May require technical analysis to derive • Examples: • Should rules vary from one watershed to another? • Should provisions apply to small or large drainage areas? • Should private concerns operate stormwater facilities? • Who should pay for new infrastructure? • Should utility fees use gross lot size or imperviousness?

  8. Source: http://www.ci.arlington.tx.us/planning/pdf/Subdivision_Regulations_20050621.pdf

  9. WRITE THE ORDINANCE • Policy document NOT a design manual • Address “What” and “Why” • Include “How” in other documents

  10. WRITE THE ORDINANCE • Participants: • Engineering, public works, planning, environmental management, legal, and other affected departments • Interest groups and stakeholders • Elected officials • Consultants • Use “model” or borrowed ordinanceswith caution: Objectives and policiesmay differ!!

  11. ORDINANCE COMPONENTS • Legal authority • Technical basis • Administrative apparatus • Enforcement provisions

  12. LEGAL AUTHORITY • Ordinance must follow from political body’s authority under state law • Texas: • Type A, B, C, or Home Rule Municipality • County (Not Called an Ordinance)

  13. Source: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/lg.toc.htm

  14. Source: http://www.cleanwaterclearchoice.org/downloads/COH_Ordinance_Final.pdf

  15. TECHNICAL BASIS • Establish clear and measurable performance standards • Avoid furnishing detailed design information • Flexible vs. inflexible?

  16. TECHNICAL BASIS EXAMPLE Source: http://www.nctcog.org/envir/SEEclean/stormwater/resources/ordinances/MesquiteOrdinance.pdf

  17. ADMINSTRATIVE APPARATUS • Ordinance must clearly state who is responsible for carrying out municipal actions

  18. ADMINISTRATOR EXAMPLE Source: http://www.fortworthgov.org/dem/PDF/Article3_amended.PDF

  19. ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS • Elements: • Approvals • Inspections • Penalties • Phased enforcement

  20. Source: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/lg.toc.htm

  21. ENFORCEMENT EXAMPLE Source: http://www.cleanwaterclearchoice.org/downloads/COH_Ordinance_Final.pdf

  22. ENFORCEMENT EXAMPLE Source: http://www.cleanwaterclearchoice.org/downloads/COH_Ordinance_Final.pdf

  23. ORDINANCE STYLE:FLEXIBLE VS. INFLEXIBLE • Flexible • State general policies • Implement with judgment • Allows varied interpretations • Allows for creative solutions • Seeks “best” solutions for site issues • Inflexible • Very specific technical requirements • Includes specific administrative requirements • Implement standard solutions • “One size fits all” approach

  24. FLEXIBLE ORDINANCE EXAMPLE New Development: New developments that include an increase in imperviousness shall include permanent stormwater management features which reduce the discharge of pollutants to the maximum extent practical.

  25. INFLEXIBLE ORDINANCE EXAMPLE New Development: New developments that include an increase in imperviousness of more than 1 acre shall include onsite stormwater management facilities which capture the first 0.5 inches of runoff and release that volume over a 24 hour period.

  26. ORDINANCE STYLE:FLEXIBLE VS. INFLEXIBLE • Flexible • Increases technical analysis requirements • Increases engineering costs • Increase staff qualifications and size • May be perceived as unfair • Little consistency • Increased O&M diversity • Inflexible • Forces conformity and consistency • May yield inappropriate solutions • Reduced staff size and qualifications • Simpler “cook-book” engineering

  27. HOW TO ADOPT? Source: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/lg.toc.htm

  28. TRAPS AND PITFALLS • Ordinance first, policies second • I can write this myself! • The developers and property owners won’t mind • Adopt quickly for compliance reasons • This ordinance from Timbuktu will work!

  29. REPERCUSSIONS OF POORORDINANCE WRITING • Frequent revisions needed • Eroded public confidence • Eroded political support • Unanticipated consequences

  30. SELECTED REFERENCES • City of Fredericksburg:http://www.fbgtx.org/ordinance/stormwtr.htm • City of Fort Worth:http://www.fortworthgov.org/dem/storm_ordinance.htm • North Central Texas COG:http://www.nctcog.org/envir/SEEclean/stormwater/resources/ordinances.asp • City of Arlington:http://www.ci.arlington.tx.us/environmentalservices/environmental_water_stormwater.html • EPA Illicit Discharges:http://www.epa.gov/nps/ordinance/discharges.htm • City of Houston, Harris County, Harris County Flood Control District, TxDOT Houston District:http://www.cleanwaterclearchoice.org/professionals/(Click on Construction, Development, or Industrial to view downloads) • City of Carrollton:http://www.ci.carrollton.tx.us/development/engineering/Downloads.shtml • Texas Statutes: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/lg.toc.htm

  31. EPA REGION 68TH ANNUAL MS4 OPERATOR’S CONFERENCESAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, JUNE 2006QUESTIONS?MICHAEL F. BLOOM, PE, CFM, CPSWQ, DEEAssociate281-529-4202mfbloom@pbsj.com

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