Amendment of ordinance approved to prevent repeat of issues
By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
In an attempt at not letting history repeat itself, Whitewater officials are tackling past flooding issues with tightened restrictions associated with stormwater management throughout the community.
The Common Council on June 17 approved an amendment to an existing stormwater management ordinance. The council’s vote was derived out of a recommendation from a consultant, Madison-based engineering firm Strand Associates.
“City staff have voiced concern over multiple recent land development projects that have involved land disturbance … and the potential cumulative effect these developments may be having on the city’s stormwater system,” Mark Shubak, a general contractor with Strand, wrote in an email.
To remedy staff members’ concerns, Shubak recommended the city tweak the requirements it imposes on new developers. The council has given the green light to city staff to move forward with Shubak’s recommendations.
New developers will be required to pay a fee to the city. The specific amount will vary from one development to the next and will be based on a three-party negotiation between the developer, city staff and the Common Council.
Proceeds from the new assessment are to go toward funding alternate municipal stormwater management measures in an attempt at offsetting the environmental and flooding impacts from the new developments.
Fees collected are to be placed in a designated fund and be used exclusively for city stormwater management efforts.
Prior to the amendment, the city had been working within a specific measurement threshold for new developers. It was set at 1 acre of land disturbance, regardless of how much additional impervious surface was introduced from the new development.
“The same 1-acre threshold has also applied to construction site erosion control requirements,” Assistant City Manager Chris McDonell said.
Depending upon the numbers crunched, McDonell said developers in the past did not necessarily have to submit a stormwater management plan.
“(The scenario) may be partly to blame for flooding throughout the community,” McDonell said. “The fee in lieu of stormwater management practices will be valuable in situations where on-site compliance is not feasible or not desirable.”
