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Information |
TITLE |
Consideration and Approval: Stormwater Strategic Plan 2028 |
STAFF RECOMMENDED ACTION: |
Approve the draft Stormwater Strategic Plan 2028. Approval will move the plan from "draft" to "final" and allow for public dissemination.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: |
The Stormwater Program was created in 2003 as a central program for managing drainage development review, development permits, and regulating FEMA special flood hazard areas (floodplains). At the time, the program was housed in Community Development (CD).
With time, the program grew to include capital improvements, maintenance, flood response, early alert monitoring, and emergency management. Amidst these growing responsibilities, the Stormwater Program moved from CD to Water Services in 2009. The Stormwater Program was included in the Water Services 2025 Strategic Plan, however it was quickly determined by the interim Water Services Director (Ryan Roberts, 2020) that the Stormwater Program could use better definition, guidance, and a mission to provide a more efficient and successful program. A consultant, Resource Trends Inc., was brought on board in 2020 to help develop the strategic plan. A rough draft was prepared by the end of 2020 and put on pause with the change in leadership both at the Water Services Director position and the Stormwater Manager position.
The draft plan was revisited after the Pipeline Fire and completed by Resource Trends, Stormwater Staff, and the Water Services administration team in 2022. The purpose of the plan is to highlight critical areas within Stormwater that require attention, planning, and/or funding. These areas include: climate change, wildfire flooding, aging infrastructure, natural hazard research specific to Flagstaff, and maintaining appropriate Stormwater staffing including pertinent knowledge, skills, and abilities. |
INFORMATION: |
The City of Flagstaff Stormwater Section is part of the Water Services Division and has been established to regulate, operate, protect, maintain, and enhance the stormwater drainage systems in the City. Although it’s part of the Water Services Division, it has all the functions, complexity, and responsibilities of a separate utility. It administers the Stormwater Management Program and performs studies and analyses as required. It prepares capital improvement plans, performs routine maintenance/repair of stormwater assets, and obtains federal and state permits. The Stormwater Section also communicates with businesses, residents, and developers, and acquires lands, easements, and rights-of-ways to perform its duties.
Stormwater management involves managing flood issues. The cost of severe weather events and flooding can be high, and climate change models predict and increase in the frequency of these events. The challenge for the Stormwater Section is to ensure that issues are minimal in flood events despite the changing climate and the cumulative impacts of development. Meeting this objective requires that the Section set clear performance standards, ensure that the system is sized appropriately, perform needed maintenance, and ensure that new development allows for proper drainage as much as is reasonably possible.
Summary of Strategic Objectives
- Respond to Wildfire Flooding Issues and Events
- Clarify Climate Change Characteristics and Overall Stormwater Challenges
- Maximize/Optimize Stormwater System Maintenance
- Clarify Services Levels and Enhance Customer Service
- Increase Support for Floodproofing of Individual Structures
- Enhance CIP Process and Update CIP Priorities
- Enhance Development Review Process and Developer Support
- Improve Communications and Collaboration
- Address Stormwater Section Human Resource Needs
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