Part of the proposed Stormwater Utility Construction Expenditure Rating System
Category A Criteria - Scope, extent of service, and consequences (each category given points)
- Problem associated with stormwater runoff or State Waters; not caused by groundwter, potable water, wastewater, etc.
- Problem caused by Rockdale County forces or their contractors
- Work was previously agreed to in writing by County officials
- Problem constitutes an existing or imminent hazard to the public or any County-owned infrastructure
- Problem not caused or exacerbated by any intentional act
- Problem not caused or exacerbated by failure to property maintain the abvoeground portions of the affected property
- Solution wil limprove water quailty or aquatic habitat
- Solution will be easy to maintain
Category B Criteria - Mandatory Owner Acceptance
- Each owner has signed liability waiver and hold harmless agreement
- Each owner has dedicated a free, permanent easement to Rockdale County and its contractors
- Each owner has signed an agreement to pay for removal and replacement of any obstruction within permanent easement
- Each owner has signed na agreement to allow Rockdale County to establish scope, scheduling, funding, and methods
- Each owner has paid their outstanding Stormwater Utility fees
Rockdale County is proposing new laws that would not only create a rating system for stormwater projects and repair requests, but would also allow the county to perform projects on private property.
The new laws implementing the ratings system, which the Board of Commissioners will vote on next Tuesday, would be the first of its kind in the state, said Planning and Zoning Director Marshall Walker. Once the county works on a stormwater project at county expense, even on private property, the county would then be responsible for that infrastructure and would have future easement and access rights.
"It's kind of opening a new door," said Walker, at the Tuesday morning BOC work session. "It gives us more infrastructure to look after in the future." He admitted it could have unforeseen consequences.
Each project or repair request would be rated in nine aspects, such as whether the problem was caused by an intentional act, the safety hazard presented, or whether it is connected to existing county-owned stormwater infrastructure.
Owners requesting work done on private property would also have to meet five mandatory criteria, including having paid their stormwater utility fees, waiving liabilities, giving a permanent and free easement to the county for the project, removing obstacles for the project and allowing the county to establish the scope, methods and funding of the project.
About 10 percent or up to $200,000, whichever amount is less, of county funds originally slated for public works projects would be redirected to stormwater projects in the new ordinances proposed.
Currently, stormwater repair requests on private property come before the Board of Commissioners for each request.
Commissioner Oz Nesbitt asked about the inspection process and remarked, “I think it’s important to have safeguards in place… to make sure the county doesn’t get taken.”
“There are a lot of folks out there – I hate to say it – that are looking for a free ride and we have to make sure they don’t get that free ride on Rockdale County by making a false claim.”
Walker also cautioned that the Environmental Protection Division would be taking a look at the ordinance as well and could come back and say the county needs to continue funding public stormwater projects at the same level. “If that is the case, it may change our agreement with EPD and it may be that we’re coming back to you for some kind of increase in Stormwater,” said Walker.
Walker said after the meeting that the county has been working on the specific ordinances over the past six months after the department was asked to look at a fair, impartial way of addressing repair requests.
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(June 21, 11:53 a.m.) IN BRIEF: Rockdale County's Stormwater division is working on a new ratings system for stormwater-related projects that would assign priority to repair requests that come in, even on private property, that is ready for a vote by the Board of Commissioners next Tuesday. The new laws implementing the ratings system would be one of the first of its kind in the state, said Planning and Zoning Director Marshall Walker. Once the county works on a stormwater project at county expense, even on private property, the county would then be responsible for that infrastructure and would have future easement and access rights. "It's kind of opening a new door," said Walker. "It gives us more infrastructure to look after in the future." About 10 percent or up to $200,000 of the funds originally slated for public works projects would be redirected to stormwater projects, in the new ordinances proposed.
Check back later to www.rockdalenews.com for more.
