ADMINISTRATION- Jim Hafner, Stormwater Manager
Title
APPROVAL OF MINOR REVISIONS TO THE LOCAL SURFACE WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Background
The Local Surface Water Management Plan is required of all Metro area municipalities. It is part of the city's Comprehensive Management Plan and establishes standards, goals and policies for managing surface waters and stormwater runoff. As required in State Statute 103B.231 <https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=103B.231>, the local government units having land use planning and regulatory responsibility for territory within watershed districts shall prepare or cause to be prepared a local water management plan, capital improvement program, and official controls as necessary to bring local water management into conformance with the watershed plan within the time period prescribed in the implementation program of the watershed plan and, as necessary, shall prepare or cause to be prepared amendments to the local comprehensive plan. In short, when a watershed district writes, or updates, its management plan, municipalities must update their local water plans within 2 years.
As discussed at the January 22, 2015 Council Workshop, Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD) updated its plan in 2010; Coon Creek Watershed District updated its plan in 2013. Originally, the CCWD plan was to be completed in 2012 which would have meant Blaine would have updated its local water plan in 2012-13 timeframe to be compliant with both watershed districts. The CCWD plan was delayed and Blaine requested its update be delayed rather than do it twice in a short period of time.
The update being done now is simply to make the plan current with the RCWD and CCWD plan updates and to be current with City of Blaine stormwater related items. These updates do not change City ordinances nor do they make any new requirements relative to regulatory items.
Updates made to the plan are:
· Removing all references to the Six Cities Water Management Organization
· Update references to City of Blaine actions that have been completed - MS4 permit items, water quality monitoring, TMDL's, non-degradation plan, ordinance updates, stormwater utility fee
· Revise stormwater CIP and budget to current status
· Add agreements with Coon Creek (CCWD) and Rice Creek (RCWD) Watershed Districts for ditch inspection services
· Update references to CCWD and RCWD rule and plan changes
· Change rainfall frequency data reference from TP 40 to Atlas 14. This is the NOAA data used for design of stormwater systems and ponds
Blaine's Comprehensive Management Plan is due to be updated in 2018. The Local Water Plan will undergo a more thorough update at that time to be consistent with the Comp Plan updates.
Recommendation
By motion, approve update revisions to the City of Blaine Local Surface Water Management Plan.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Blaine this 18th day of June, 2015.