Public Hearing: YES ☐ NO ☒ Department: Public Works - Roads & Drainage
SUBJECT:
Title
Commission District(s): ALL
Stormwater Master Plan
Body
Information Contact: Peggy Allen, DDPW, Roads & Drainage
Phone Number: 404-294-2878
PURPOSE:
To consider Adopting the Storm Water Master Plan.
NEED/IMPACT:
DeKalb County faces frequent flooding and drainage system related failures due to an outdated stormwater infrastructure that is aging and requires significant maintenance. The existing system, which includes storm sewers and culverts, has led to safety and environmental issues, necessitating unplanned repairs that strain county resources. Established in 2003, the DeKalb County Stormwater Utility (SWU) aims to manage stormwater but has struggled with reduced revenue and an expanding set of responsibilities from regulatory mandates. A strategic Stormwater Master Plan has been developed to transition the county from a reactive to a proactive stormwater management approach, focusing on a multi-year strategy to address current and future needs.
Historical key challenges include insufficient revenue to maintain aging infrastructure, leading to a backlog of maintenance requests. Prior to the 2023 rate increase, the SWU had operated at the same rate since 2003. This plan emphasizes a risk-based approach to asset management, prioritizing maintenance and capital improvement projects based on the likelihood and consequence of asset failure. Future development identified in the County’s Comprehensive Plan is also projected to exacerbate these challenges, highlighting the need for immediate and long-term infrastructure investments.
Currently, funding primarily comes from the SWU user fees, which as noted, were recently raised in 2023 to address budget shortfalls and improve maintenance responsiveness. Despite these increases, additional funding will be necessary to meet future stormwater management demands.
Recommendations include enhancing routine maintenance, implementing a prioritization process for capital improvement projects, and exploring nature-based solutions to provide broader community benefits. The resultant roadmap in the Master Plan outlines specific improvements and emphasizes a shift toward a proactive management strategy to ensure effective stormwater operations. The roadmap is designed to implement improvements over time with an emphasis on strategic elements in the near term and adaptive management in future years out to a 20-year planning horizon.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact in adopting the Stormwater Master Plan. However, the implementation of this plan will have fiscal impacts. Public Works and Finance Departments will evaluate all revenue and available funding options, including the use of multiple funding sources such as stormwater utility user fees, grants, and debt service vehicles.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
Adopt the DeKalb County Stormwater Master Plan.