The DeKalb County Stormwater Management Planning Committee (SMPC) met on November 8, 2007 at 3:00 p.m. in the DeKalb County Administration Building, Conference Room East, in Sycamore, Illinois.  In attendance were Committee members Bill Nicklas, Pat Vary, Mark Biernacki, Roger Steimel, Don Pardridge, Donna Prain, Ken Andersen, Joel Maurer, Bill Lorence and Paul Miller.

                 

1.         1.  Roll Call --  Mr. Miller noted that all members were in attendance except Joe Misurelli and Mayor Tom Thomas. 

 

2.         2.  Approval of Agenda – Ms. Vary moved to approve the agenda, seconded by Mr. Nicklas, and the motion carried unanimously.

 

3.   Review of Stormwater Plan and Ordinance Process Outline:

 

Mr. Miller began by thanking the members of the Committee for agreeing to serve, especially in light of how busy the members were with other commitments.  He stated that the Committee needs to elect a chair and vice-chair, but that it was appropriate first to get a handle on what the Committee is charged with doing.  By way of background, he explained that the State passed legislation in 2005 which modified State law to include DeKalb County in a group of counties that may create a stormwater plan and ordinance (see 55 ILCS 5/5-1062.2).  The purpose of the plan and ordinance is to protect persons and properties from the negative impacts of stormwater runoff and flooding.  The plan is intended to apply throughout the county, including within the municipal boundaries.

 

Prior to 2005, DeKalb County had for a number of years had stormwater management regulations which it applied to new development, establishing such requirements as minimum standards for the design of detention and retention ponds and for controlling maximum stormwater release rates.  In light of the new legislation from 2005, DeKalb County found it necessary to legitimize its existing regulations by re-adopting them according to the new State law.

 

The law requires that a countywide stormwater management plan must be prepared and submitted to the County Board for adoption by a stormwater management planning committee.  This committee was to be comprised of one municipal and one county representative for each of a minimum of six districts that cover the whole of the county.  The districts are to be of approximately equal population.  Accordingly, the County consolidated the 12 County Board Districts, which are already set up on approximately equal population criteria, into six districts.  The county representative for each district was appointed by the County Board Chairman in April of 2006.  Municipal members for each district were appointed by a majority vote of the mayors of the municipalities within each district.In its initial form, the Stormwater Management Planning Committee (SMPC) members were primarily the municipal engineers, plus key County staff (the Planning Director and County Engineer) and water experts.  The SMPC first met in July of 2006.  Its mandate was to create a Countywide Stormwater Management Plan and Stormwater Management Ordinance that maintained the status-quo with respect to stormwater management -- that is, the County would retain jurisdiction over stormwater management regulation in unincorporated DeKalb County, and the municipalities would remain autonomous with respect to stormwater management within their boundaries.

 

The SMPC met regularly throughout the remainder of 2006 and the first quarter of 2007, and the Stormwater Management Plan and Ordinance were adopted by the DeKalb County Board in November of 2006, with an effective date of May 1, 2007 (see attachments).  During that interim, the Committee worked with each municipality to process applications for exempt status.  Every municipality was able to demonstrate its stormwater management regulations were at least as stringent as the County’s in five key areas, and were therefore granted exempt status.  The overall goal was thus achieved -- the County stormwater regulations were reaffirmed, and the municipalities retained grading and stormwater management authority within their boundaries.

 

The Countywide Stormwater Management Plan recommends a second and third phase.  The first phase has been completed.  The reconstituted SMPC is charged with initiating Phase 2.  It should be noted that the enabling legislation for the countywide stormwater management plan includes the potential for considerably more than what the County did in 2006-07, including taxation for funding of regional stormwater management projects.  The County chose not to take advantage of these additional possibilities, deferring them to a second phase of the Countywide Stormwater Management Plan.

 

Whereas the first phase of the Plan was technical, the second phase has more political and policy implications.  Mr. Miller explained that the options before the Committee cover a wide range, from recommending no changes to the current Stormwater Management Plan, to recommending important regional stormwater management projects and how those should be funded.  He concluded by suggesting that each member of the Committee should give thought to what, if anything, they felt the Committee should focus upon as part of Phase 2 of the Plan.

 

4.         Election of Committee Chair and Vice-Chair:

 

Mr. Biernacki nominated Mr. Miller to serve as Committee chair, seconded by Ms. Vary.  Mr. Miller thanked them for the nomination, but added that another person might be more appropriate, as his role would be to provide primary staff services to the Committee.

 

Mr. Lorence moved to close nominations, seconded by Mr. Steimel, and the motion carried unanimously.

 

Upon a voice vote, the Committee appointed Mr. Miller to serve as Committee Chair.

 

Ms. Prain noted that as the Chair is a County representative on the Committee, the Vice-Chair must be a municipal representative.

 

Mr. Nicklas nominated Mr. Biernacki to be Vice-Chair of the Committee.

 

Mr. Steimel moved to close nominations, seconded by Mr. Andersen, and the motion carried unanimously.

 

Upon a voice vote, the Committee appointed Mr. Biernacki to serve as Committee Vice-Chair.

 

5.         By-Laws:

 

Mr. Miller pointed out that the previous Committee had developed by-laws.  He amended these to add the purpose of the new Committee and to note the new membership.  Mr. Miller asked for any input on the revised by-laws and a motion to approve.

 

Mr. Nicklas moved to approve the amended Committee by-laws, seconded by Ms. Prain, and the motion carried unanimously.

 

6.         Next Steps:

 

Discussion was held regarding what issues and areas of interest the Committee might focus on as part of the development of Phase 2 of the Countywide Stormwater Management Plan.  It was noted that the August 24-25, 2007 flood highlights the need for more coordinated, regional-based regulation and management of water.

 

Mr. Nicklas pointed out that there are issues beyond those areas that received the most attention from the recent flood, and that the Committee’s scope should be regional.  The County Regional Planning Committee serves as a good model for non-partisan cooperation.

 

Ms. Vary noted that there is a concurrent effort underway for planning for ground water, and that ground water and stormwater are related issues.  Mr. Miller agreed, noting that there are good planning practices to tie stormwater management to ground-water recharge and water quality.  He mentioned techniques such as rain gardens, grass filtration strips within parking lots, and encouraging the use of rain barrels to capture water from roofs for use in watering gardens, landscaping and lawns.

 

Mr. Lorence mentioned his desire to see a fee-in-lieu program.  This would allow a downstream development that would otherwise be required to build its own, small-scale detention facility, to forego doing so and instead contribute the cost of that facility to a County program that would use the funds to increase the size or effectiveness of upstream stormwater management facilities.

 

Mr. Andersen asked how the Committee’s mandate works with the County’s application for a mitigation project for Evergreen Village.  Mr. Miller pointed out that Phase 2 of the Stormwater Management Plan could highlight Evergreen Village and other areas, such as that portion of Taylor Street in DeKalb, as areas that should be mitigated and perhaps turned into stormwater detention facilities.

 

Mr. Maurer suggested that the Committee could learn from the Plans developed for Kane, DuPage and Lake Counties.

 

Discussion was held regarding delineating the County’s watersheds.  Ms. Prain noted that KREP, the Kishwaukee River Ecosystem Partnership, has already developed watershed maps for portions of the South Branch of the Kishwaukee River.  Mr. Miller added that the State Department of Water Resources have general maps of the major watersheds in DeKalb County.

 

Ms. Vary suggested that it would be helpful to develop a list of URLs which have groundwater and stormwater resources for use by the Committee.

 

Mr. Andersen mentioned that he had attended a seminar that included a presentation on permeable concrete.  This product allows rain to percolate into the ground beneath the concrete, aiding in water quality, groundwater recharge, and reducing erosion by slowing the rate of water discharge into streams.

 

Ms. Vary suggested that it would be helpful if an engineer could give the Committee an overview of the techniques related to stormwater management.  Mr. Nicklas suggested that there are members of the Committee, notably Mr. Lorence, who could do this.

 

Mr. Miller concluded the discussion by asking each member to develop a “wish list” of issues and topics that the Committee should address.  These lists could be sent to him to be compiled and considered by the Committee as a whole at its next meeting.

 

7.         Next Meeting:

 

Mr. Miller noted that the Committee is required to meet at least quarterly.  He pointed out that the previous Committee met monthly while overseeing the bulk of its work.  Discussion was held regarding the time and date when the Committee would meet next.  It was agreed that Thursdays at 3:00 generally will work for Committee members.

 

Following discussion, the Committee agreed to meet next on January 24, 2008 at 3:00 in the East Conference Room of the DeKalb County Administration Building in Sycamore, IL.

 

10.       Adjournment -- Mr. Lorence motioned to adjourn, seconded by Ms. Vary, and the motion carried unanimously.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

                                                                                              

Paul R. Miller

Chairman, DeKalb County Stormwater Management Planning Committee

 

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