11-12-1996 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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TO: FROM: DATE: Mayor and City Council Ron Moorse, City Administrator I November 7, 1996 SUBJECT: Meeting with MCWD Representatives Regarding Storm Water Ponding Requirements On Wednesday, October 30 staff met with representatives of the MCWD and County DOT staff to discuss MCWD permit requirements regarding stormwater ponding for the County Road 15 and County Road 6 roadway reconstruction projects. The meeting also included a discussion regarding the development of a cooperative agreement between the city of Orono and the MCWD concerning regional ponding facilities. Those present at the meeting were as follows: MCWD staff: Gene Strommen and Dionne King, MCWD engineer: Andrew Sieverson, MCWD managers: Tom Maple and Monica Groth. County DOT staff: Steve Theis, Bruce Polzczyk, and Joel Settles. The County staff indicated that because the grade of County Road 15 is so close to the water level of the adjacent wetland areas, it is not possible to construct a stormwater pond to treat the increased stormwater run off from the new roadway. Instead the County will create a set of swales along the north side of County Road 15 between the roadway and the wetland area to provide some treatment of water before it enters the wetlands. Because it is not possible to construct a pond, the County must obtain a variance from this requirement from the MCWD. MCWD Stormwater Pond Variance Process The MCWD stormwater management rules require stormwater ponds for all new development. However, they do provide a variance process when it is not possible to provide a pond. The variance process requires a c: operative agreement between the MCWD and the city that identifies regional ponding facilities (in the city) that will provide for stormwater ponding needs in lieu of providing a stormwater pond on the site of each specific development project. The variance procedure requires that a cash payment be made to the MCWD in lieu of the construction of a pond to serve a specific development. The cash payment is then to be used to construct a regional ponding facility to address overall ponding and water quality needs. County DOT Pavment-in-Licu-of-Pond Because it is not possible to construct a pond to serve the County Road 15 project, the County will have to make a cash payment toward a regional pond facility in lieu of constructing a pond. The payment is estimated at approximately $5,(X)0 to 7,(X)0. The city will share in this cost. Both the County staff and city staff indicated that if the payment-in-1 ieu-of-pond needs to be made, the payment should be placed into an escrow account over which the County and City have control until the city has identified a regional or .sub-regional pond facility which this payment can be used to fund. The alternative would be that the payment could be used to fund