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Pikes Peak Stormwater Task Force Flood and drainage management plan. The stormwater crisis. Managing stormwater. Stormwater runoff is generated when rain and snowmelt flows over land or impervious surfaces and does not percolate into the ground. Managing stormwater means:
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Pikes Peak Stormwater Task ForceFlood and drainage management plan
Managing stormwater • Stormwater runoff is generated when rain and snowmelt flows over land or impervious surfaces and does not percolate into the ground. • Managing stormwater means: • Safely/effectively directing storm flows • Slowing and de-energizing water flow, reducing destructive potential • Protecting lives, property and infrastructure • Protecting water quality
How does stormwater affect me? • Road closures • Costly repairs • Business closures • Insurance rates • Utility rates • Personal safety • Road and bridge integrity
Current stormwater system - ASCE 2012 report card Capacity D- Operations & MaintenanceD+ Condition F Drainage Basin Planning F Program & Funding Public Safety D- ResilienceD Overall D-
High priority • Medium priority • Low priority TOTAL • $186,955,000 • $372,912,000 • $63,565,000 • $706,679,000 Funding needs (2013 dollars) $13.9M/year Capital projects - El Paso County within Fountain Creek Watershed, does not include post-fire or flooding needs: Non-Capital - annual drainage operations and maintenance, permit (MS4), water quality, planning studies and corrugated metal pipe replacement needs:
The price of procrastination (capital projects only) Current estimate of necessary capital improvements: $706 million If we started these projects 25 years ago, project cost would have been: $15.85 million per year for 25 years -25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25 Years from today $47.66 million per year for 25 years - What we’ll have to pay over the next 25 years because of delay.
Stormwater Task Force • Formed in 2012 by Co. Springs City Council, El Paso County Commissioners, Springs Utilities • Comprised of engineers, citizens, business people • Goal: assess the community’s stormwater needs and propose a solution • Legal, economic, engineering analysis • Public meetings and polling
Research: Economic impact of a solution • Increase in jobs, income, economic output and sales taxes • 350 new, well-paying local jobs per year • $50 million increase in gross metropolitan product • Lower insurance rates • Improved roads and bridges • Stable funding and well-maintained infrastructure to attract new businesses Zwirlein and Crowley study
Community benefits • Public safety • Protection of public and private property, including roads and bridges • Protection of water quality • Enhanced neighborhoods • Waterways as community amenities • Economic development • Higher property values • Lower insurance rates
Our proposal • Regional stormwater authority • Impervious surface fee to fund: • List of stormwater projects (55%) • Emergency needs and master planning (10%) • Maintenance (35%) • The average household would pay $7.75 per month
Our proposal • Governed by a board of elected officials and advised by citizen and technical committees • Administration capped at 1% to minimize overhead • Work contracted to local vendors as much as possible to maximize economic benefit • Capital portion expires automatically • The fee is fixed and will NEVER go up
Common questions – does the solution: • Address the problem? A dedicated funding source. • Limit bureaucracy? 1% administrative costs limits spending and number of employees. • Tell you where the money’s going? A priority project list. • Ask if we are doing our job? Capital projects ends, just like PPRTA. • Avoid duplication? A coordinated regional solution led by a master plan. • Improve our economy? UCCS economist study says it will create hundreds of long-term jobs for local residents. • Fair? All property owners will contribute. Your jurisdiction will receive what its taxpayers pay in. • Charge reasonable rates? $7.70/month for the average homeowner. • Let citizens have a voice? Dozens of public meetings and hundreds of phone calls in plan development, and you get final say on Nov. 4.
Keep in touch! PikesPeakStormwater.orgPikesPeakStormwater@gmail.com Facebook.com/PikesPeakStormwater @PeakStormwater Join our email list: text “stormwater” to 22828 719-310-3235
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