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HomeMy WebLinkAbout# 15 MS4 Program STAFF REPORT DATE: June 6, 2017 REGULAR ITEM #: 15 AGENDA ITEM: MS4 Permit Program – Public Meeting and Accept the 2016 Annual Report SUBMITTED BY: Jack Griffin, City Engineer REVIEWED BY: Kristina Handt, City Administrator Rob Weldon, Public Works Director Ryan Stempski, Project Engineer ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL: Should the City Council approve the Annual Report for the MS4 Permit Program? BACKGROUND: The MS4 General Permit is mandated by the federal regulations under the Clean Water Act and administered by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. A municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) is a conveyance or system of conveyances (roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, man-made channels, and storm drains) owned by a municipality. The MS4 program gives owners or operators of MS4’s approval to discharge storm water to lakes, rivers and wetlands in Minnesota. The MS4 General Permit focuses on reducing the pollution that enters these public systems and discharges to wetlands, streams and lakes (“waters of the state”). By federal rule, storm water systems in urban areas are labeled Mandatory MS4s. The City of Lake Elmo is a Mandatory MS4 City. As a MS4 City, Lake Elmo was required to obtain and comply with a National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) storm water permit. To meet these requirements the City prepared and implemented a five year Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) beginning in 2006 and extending through 2010. The MPCA reissued a new five year program effective August 1, 2013 that extends to July 31, 2018. The SWPPP specifies and outlines a series of best management practices intended to satisfy the permit requirements for each of the six minimum control measures. The six minimum control measures are: 1. Public Education and Outreach 2. Public Involvement and Participation 3. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination 4. Construction Site Storm Water Controls 5. Post-Construction Storm Water Management for development and redevelopment 6. Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations PROPOSAL DETAILS/ANALYSIS: As part of the on-going permit requirements as a mandatory MS4 City, Staff has prepared the 2016 MS4 Annual Report and will present a summary report to the City Council and general public. The City must hold an Annual Public Meeting to encourage public discussion and participation regarding its storm water quality and steps it is taking to address the MS4 Permit requirements. Notice of this meeting was posted at City Hall and published in the Oakdale-Lake Elmo Review on May 3, 2017 (see attachment). Public input received will be considered for updating the City’s Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) and the meeting minutes will be incorporated into the City’s final report. The 2016 MS4 Annual Report must be submitted to the MPCA by June 30, 2017. A copy of the City’s Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) is available on the City website. RECOMMENDATION: Staff is recommending that the City Council conduct the Annual Public Meeting required by the MS4 Permit and receive public input and comments. After receiving a staff presentation and public comment, it is recommended that the City Council accept the MS4 Annual Report for 2016 and authorize staff to submit this report to the MPCA by June 30, 2017. The recommended motion for the action is as follows: “Move to accept the MS4 Annual Report for 2016 and authorize staff to submit the Report to the MPCA.” ATTACHMENTS: 1. Notice of MS4 Annual Public Meeting. 2. EMWREP Annual Report – Executive Summary (full report available upon request). 3. City of Lake Elmo 2016 MS4 Annual Report. CITY OF LAKE ELMO NOTICE OF ANNUAL PUBLIC MEETING ON THE CITY STORM WATER POLLUTION PREVENTION PROGRAM Notice is hereby given that the City Council of Lake Elmo will meet at City Hall at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 6, 2017, to conduct a public meeting to encourage public discussion and participation regarding its storm water quality and Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP). A 1987 Amendment to the Federal Clean Water Act required implementation of a two-phase comprehensive national program to reduce pollution from storm water runoff. A National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is required as part of this program. The permit identifies a number of measures that must be met or implemented by each community. The six minimum measures are: • Public Education and Outreach • Public Involvement and Participation • Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination • Construction Site Storm Water Controls • Post-Construction Storm Water Management for development and redevelopment • Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations The City’s Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program specifies best management practices intended to satisfy the permit requirements for each of the minimum measures. As part of this program, the City is required to hold an annual meeting to encourage public discussion and participation regarding its storm water quality and steps it is taking to address the six minimum control measures. A copy of the SWPPP is available on the City website or by contacting the City Engineer. An annual report will be submitted to the MPCA in June 2017. The minutes of the annual public meeting will be incorporated into the City’s annual report. The meeting will be held as part of the regular City Council Meeting at City Hall. The agenda for this meeting will include: 1) A Presentation about implementation of the City's Surface Water Pollution Prevention Program in 2016, 2) Affording interested persons the opportunity to make oral statements concerning the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program, 3) Consideration of relevant written materials that interested persons submit concerning the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program; and, 4) Consideration of public input in making adjustments to the 2017 implementation plan for the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program. DATED: April 27, 2017 BY ORDER OF THE LAKE ELMO CITY CLERK Julie Johnson, City Clerk (Published in the Oakdale-Lake Elmo Review on May 3, 2017) 4 2016 Executive Summary General Education Campaign: During 2016, EMWREP used a variety of strategies to promote partner programs and activities, and to educate the public about stormwater pollution and other issues affecting surface and groundwater resources. EMWREP contributed 54 press releases and news columns to 18 area newspapers, in addition to producing educational content for city newsletters, social media, and on-line news sites. EMWREP staff attended more than 30 community events and participated in the planning and program development for several regional water education initiatives. Though the impact of these larger public education and awareness raising efforts is often hard to measure directly, we know they greatly improve the success of our targeted outreach activities and are usually the initial gateway through which people learn about partner organizations and get involved at a higher level. In 2016, EMWREP also conducted the following special education projects: • Education for Homeowners’ Associations (HOAs): o Provided outreach support for the Green Communities Clean Water grant. During 2016, projects were completed at Evergreen Country Homes and Lakeridge Townhomes in Woodbury (RWMWD). Projects at Heritage Glen and Powers Lake Townhomes (Woodbury, SWWD) and Lakeview Terrace (Oakdale, RWMWD) will be completed in 2017. o Presented about the project at the St. Croix Summit. o Created a guidebook with guidelines for working with HOAs on clean water and landscaping projects. • Education about groundwater and water conservation o Developed a water conservation education campaign for Century College. o Created two new tabletop displays about water conservation and groundwater. o Staged a “Water Bar” at the Washington County Fair. • Worked to build relationships with lake associations in the East Metro o Hosted meetings in the spring and fall to discuss strategies for controlling aquatic invasive species (AIS). o Developed a monthly e-newsletter to provide information for lake association members in Chisago, Ramsey, and Washington Counties. • Helped Watershed Partners (WSP) to launch a new metro-wide water education initiative o New website – www.cleanwatermn.org – features stories of Minnesotans taking action to protect their local water resources. An innovative tracking component was developed to help partners measure the individual and collective impact of the campaign. o WSP has continued to bring in speakers and offer workshops to help partners improve the effectiveness of their education and outreach efforts. • Connected with new audiences through neighborhood nature events: o Family-friendly events were help in Stillwater (BCWD and CMSCWD), Cottage Grove (SWWD), Woodbury (SWWD), Maplewood (RWMWD), and Forest Lake (CLFLWD). • Supported water education for area youth. • Participated in the NAVIGATE St. Croix Program, which is a locally-led effort to enhance art, nature, and community connections in the St. Croix Valley. • Worked with City of Maplewood and Valley Branch Watershed District to begin creating four interpretive signs for Joy Park. 5 Blue Thumb Program: EMWREP uses Blue Thumb – Planting for Clean Water (www.BlueThumb.org) tools and resources to enhance outreach efforts for watershed cost-share programs and neighborhood raingarden projects. The program was developed by the Rice Creek Watershed District in 2006 and is currently led by Metro Blooms. • In 2016, EMWREP: o Taught landscaping workshops in Cottage Grove, Lake Elmo, Forest Lake, Scandia and Denmark Twp. o Hosted a Blue Thumb neighborhood party in Lakeland. o Led a raingarden maintenance training in Woodbury (Colby Lake). o Gave presentations at Mahtomedi Garden Club, Friends of Scandia Parks and Trails, Forest Lake Business to Business Group, the Master Gardener Spring Program, and a Washington County realtor training. • For 2016, Washington Conservation District program staff reported: o 274 site visits o 21 new projects installed; 31 projects from previous years completed o 490.59 pounds of phosphorus (P) captured by all projects installed in 2016 o 542,681.62 pounds of total suspended solids (TSS) captured by all projects in 2016 Rural Outreach: During 2016, EMWREP: • Offered a workshop for horse owners. • Held a farmer breakfast with information about cover crops and conservation programs. • Provided outreach support for the MN Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program. Stormwater U: EMWREP works in partnership with Minnesota Extension, the University of Minnesota Erosion and Stormwater Management Certification Program, and the Minnesota Erosion Control Association (MECA) to provide professional training and workshops for local government staff and consultants, as well as builders, developers and contractors. Training offered in 2016 included: • MIDS Calculator workshop. • Erosion and Sediment Control Regulatory Enforcement workshop. • Presentations to Forest Lake Public Works staff, Washington County field staff, and county office staff about MS4 permits and illicit discharges (IDDE). NEMO: The Northland NEMO program (Non-point Education for Municipal Officials) provides local elected officials and decision makers with resources and information to make informed decisions about land use and water quality in their communities. Northland NEMO is hosted by the University of Minnesota Extension and EMWREP is a partner organization. In September 2016, EMWREP collaborated with partners to host the 7th Annual NEMO St. Croix River Workshop on the Water, which celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service, provided information about riverway and stormwater standards, and helped community leaders understand the importance of an orderly development process. MS4 Toolkit and Blue Biz: In 2009, EMWREP created the MS4 Toolkit – a collection of resources and educational materials to help local cities and watershed organizations meet their stormwater permit requirements. Until recently, the toolkit was available on-line on the Clean Water Minnesota website. Education and outreach resources for businesses and commercial entities were hosted on the same website. With the creation of a new www.cleanwatermn.org website, EMWREP is in the process of uploading the MS4 Toolkit and Blue Biz resources to a FTP site so that they are still available to local partners.