WARREN COUNTY

OFFICE OF STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

 

As we near the completion of PY 04 for the Phase II Stormwater Permit a review of some milestone dates Warren County has crossed on our journey to compliance with this unfunded Federally mandated program is the subject of the Office�s Fall newsletter.

 

March 7, 2003 marked the initiation of a five year permit cycle for Phase II Stormwater program. This unfunded federal mandate was required for the enforcement & adherence to mandated Stormwater Management & Best Management Practice (BMP) plans on construction projects of greater than one (1) acre disturbance. Estimates for cost to operate this program are up to a million dollars ($1M) per year.

 

November 2004 marked the incorporation of the Departments of Stormwater Management, Environmental Planning & Assistance, and the County Building & Electrical Services into a single Office of Stormwater Management. This consolidation was completed to assist Warren County Fiscal Courts efforts to meet the objectives of this unfunded federal mandate by utilizing existing personnel to the greatest extent possible within these departments.

 

March of 2006 a renovation of the existing office space to accommodate the additional personnel required by the unfunded mandate and to better utilize existing personnel was completed on the second floor of the 1141 State Street office building. These three Departments organization did not change but the new designations are the Division of Building and Electrical Services, the Division of Environmental Planning and Assistance, and the Division of Stormwater Management.

 

March 28, 2006 the Erosion Protection and Sediment Control (EPSC) Ordinance was signed which was the first of three ordinances required to be enacted by our permit.

 

September 2006 the second required ordinance, Illicit Discharge (ID) received approval of the first reading at Fiscal Court and is scheduled to be on the agenda for the second and final reading October 6, 2006.

 

Staff changes during the recent months have included the return from medical leave for Suanne Boss, Clerk, for the Building and Electrical Services Division, medical leave for Mae Burch with the Environmental Planning and Assistance Division, and the successful completion of an inspectors training course by Robert Elrod with the Stormwater Management Division. Congratulations and thanks to all the members of the OSM staff as we work to serve the citizens of Warren County.

 

by Jack Wright, Director

Warren County Office

of Stormwater Management