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TITLE: |
Consideration and Adoption of Resolution No. 2023-14: A resolution of the City Council of the City of Flagstaff adopting the revised 2023 Stormwater Credit Manual for the City of Flagstaff |
STAFF RECOMMENDED ACTION: |
1) Read Resolution No. 2023-14 by title only for the final time
2) City Clerk reads Resolution No. 2023-14 by title only (if approved above)
3) Adopt Resolution No. 2023-14
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Executive Summary: |
The most recent Stormwater Credit Manual was instituted in late 2022 under Resolution 2022-54. That edition of the Credit Manual replaced a 2015 version that needed clarification and areas that required updates.
A review of the current Stormwater Credit Manual was completed after complaints from rural portions of the City about the number of Equivalent Rate Units (ERUs) being assigned to their properties due to extensive gravel driveways/access roads. Some of these roads are required due to floodplain/floodway designations, dust abatement, or other development setbacks that may be viewed as burdensome to landowners. A Stormwater review of many of these properties show that the runoff potential from such access roads is negligible due to the amount of undeveloped land bordering such access roads. A revision to the Credit Manual to reflect the non-contributing impervious surface of the mandatory access roads in a rural setting is recommended by the Stormwater Section to provide an overall solution and clarification to the Stormwater Utility billing. The intent of this agenda item is to provide Council with the opportunity to adopt the 2023 Stormwater Credit Manual with this revision. |
Financial Impact: |
There are no direct costs of implementing a revision of the Stormwater Credit Manual. Indirect impacts to the financial inflow to the Stormwater Utility are through credits to individual accounts, usually in the 10% credit range. Staff does not recommend a large indirect financial impact because of previous to the original 2006 Stormwater Credit Manual. Staff does not expect a large change in applications for credits as there are only a small number of accounts that may be impacted by this proposed revision. |
Policy Impact: |
The most recent Stormwater Credit Manual went into effect in 2022. It is a revised version of the original Stormwater Credit Manual of 2006 and was intended to provide incentives to businesses and property owners to "go above and beyond" in their private stormwater infrastructure. A summary of the proposed changes to the 2022 manual are below and are also in the attached draft updated Stormwater Credit Manual. If the draft document is acceptable to City Council it will be formalized for approval by Council in the Resolution included in this staff summary packet.
The following is an addendum to the commercial, industrial, multi-family, or members of homeowner’s associations AND to residential development for credits based on non-paved access drives with substantial rural non-developed adjacent land use. The purpose of this addendum is to reflect the negligible
contribution of unpaved access drives to stormwater runoff where there is considerable undisturbed native land adjacent to the access drive. This is consistent with the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) unconnected impervious area composite curve number adjustment, used in drainage design in parts of the USA.
Residential, or commercial properties [inclusive of commercial, industrial, multi-family, or members of a Home Owners Assocaition (HOA)] that have a long access drive otherwise surrounded by undeveloped land may apply for a Stormwater credit due to the negligible impact of the access drive on storm runoff.
- CREDITS FOR COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, MULTI-FAMILY OR MEMBERS (ON-LOT) OF HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATIONS. These credits do not apply to single family or duplex units.
- Unpaved access road credit
A 90% discount will be given for the impervious surface calculation of the access road (only) if the access road is composed of cinders, gravel, or dirt and the landowner can demonstrate that there is three times as much contiguous undeveloped land adjacent to the access road. The landowner must attest to maintain a ratio of at least 3:1 undeveloped contiguous adjacent land to access road impervious surface.
A record of this attestation and credit decision will be kept by the Stormwater Program, if new development occurs near the access road that drops the ratio below 3:1 the discount may be rescinded.
- CREDIT FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT
- Unpaved access road credit
A 90% discount will be given for the impervious surface calculation of the access road (only) if the access road is composed of cinders, gravel, or dirt and the landowner can demonstrate that there is three times as much contiguous undeveloped land adjacent to the access road. The landowner must attest to maintain a ratio of at least 3:1 undeveloped contiguous adjacent land to access road impervious surface.
A record of this attestation and credit decision will be kept by the Stormwater Program, if new development occurs near the access road that drops the ratio below 3:1 the discount may be rescinded. |
Connection to PBB Priorities/Objectives, Carbon Neutrality Plan & Regional Plan: |
Priority Based Budget Key Community Priorities and Objectives
High performance governance: Serve the public by providing high quality internal and external customer service (SP)1.2/ 3.2/ (RP)ED.1
Safe & Healthy Community: Foster a safe, secure, and healthy community (SP)3.4/ 4.1/ (RP)PF.1/ PF.3
Sustainable, Innovative Infrastructure: Deliver outstanding services to residents through a healthy, well maintained infrastructure system (SP)3.2/ (RP)PF.2/ E.1-2/ WR.1-6/ LU.7-8/ CD.1/ T.4-6/ REC.1
Environmental Stewardship: Implement sustainable building practices and alternative energy and transportation options (RP)E&C.6/ E.1-2/ WR.3/ PF.2/ REC.1/ LU.5/ LU.10/ LU.13-14/ LU.18/ T.3-7/ E&C.2
Carbon Neutrality Plan
Community resilience, CR-1 and CR-2
Regional Plan
Goal E&C.3. Strengthen community and natural environment resiliency through climate adaptation efforts.
Goal WR.5. Manage watersheds and stormwater to address flooding concerns, water quality, environmental protections, and rainwater harvesting.
Goal ED.1. Create a healthy environment for business by ensuring transparent, expeditious, and predictable government processes.
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Has There Been Previous Council Decision on This: |
Yes, the previous Stormwater Credit Manual was adopted via Resolution No. 2015-17 which revised the original 2006 Stormwater Credit Manual; and again via Resolution No. 2022-54 with additional revisions. |
Options and Alternatives: |
Alternative: do not adopt a revision of the Stormwater Credit Manual and continue with the current 2022 Stormwater Credit Manual. |
Background and History: |
The original credit manual was created in 2006 and revised in 2015, and again in late 2022. The intent of a Stormwater Credit Manual is to incentivize private development and improvements that go beyond current standards. The proposed revision is intended to provide a discount to rural accounts that are charged a large number of ERUs for their mandatory (due to development restrictions, dust abatement, etc) unpaved access roads. These unpaved roads do not materially contribute to stormwater runoff or degradation to stormwater water quality, as defined by the NRCS composite curve number determination for urban-undeveloped hybrid space. |
Key Considerations: |
The most recent Stormwater Credit Manual went into effect in 2022. It is a revised version of the original Stormwater Credit Manual of 2006 and was intended to provide incentives to businesses and property owners to "go above and beyond" in their private stormwater infrastructure. A summary of the proposed changes are below and are also in the attached draft updated Stormwater Credit Manual. If the draft document is accepted by Council it will be adopted in the Resolution in this staff summary packet.
The following is an addendum to the commercial, industrial, multi-family, or members of homeowner’s associations AND to residential development for credits based on non-paved access drives with substantial rural non-developed adjacent land use. The purpose of this addendum is to reflect the negligible contribution of unpaved access drives to stormwater runoff where there is considerable undisturbed native land adjacent to the access drive. This is consistent with the NRCS unconnected impervious area composite curve number adjustment, used in drainage design in parts of the USA.
Residential, or commercial properties (inclusive of commercial, industrial, multi-family, or members of an HOA), that have a long access drive otherwise surrounded by undeveloped land may apply for a Stormwater credit due to the negligible impact of the access drive on storm runoff.
- CREDITS FOR COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, MULTI-FAMILY OR MEMBERS (ON-LOT) OF HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATIONS. These credits do not apply to single family or duplex units.
- Unpaved access road credit
A 90% discount will be given for the impervious surface calculation of the access road (only) if the access road is composed of cinders, gravel, or dirt and the landowner can demonstrate that there is three times as much contiguous undeveloped land adjacent to the access road. The landowner must attest to maintain a ratio of at least 3:1 undeveloped contiguous adjacent land to access road impervious surface.
A record of this attestation and credit decision will be kept by the Stormwater Program, if new development occurs near the access road that drops the ratio below 3:1 the discount may be rescinded.
- CREDIT FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT
- Unpaved access road credit
A 90% discount will be given for the impervious surface calculation of the access road (only) if the access road is composed of cinders, gravel, or dirt and the landowner can demonstrate that there is three times as much contiguous undeveloped land adjacent to the access road. The landowner must attest to maintain a ratio of at least 3:1 undeveloped contiguous adjacent land to access road impervious surface.
A record of this attestation and credit decision will be kept by the Stormwater Program, if new development occurs near the access road that drops the ratio below 3:1 the discount may be rescinded. |
Community Involvement: |
The benefit of revising the Credit Manual is providing options for reducing the community's Stormwater utility rate through incentivizing activities that reduce flood risks at a local level. |
Expanded Options and Alternatives: |
The last revision to the Stormwater Credit Manual was brought to Water Commission in August and September of 2022 and to City Council for discussion on November 1st, 2022, it was adopted on November 15th, 2022. |
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