UPDATES: Stormwater progress, Director's contract extended, Mackenzie moving forward

Three significant items were discussed at today's Board of Trustees meeting, all of which showed signs of big things to come.

Our regional stormwater management program language, known as Title V [opens PDF in a new window] was approved by Trustees with plans to implement the program beginning in 2013. This is following a 30-day public-comment period. Some of the most notable changes in our plan include increased cost-sharing for communities: 25% of all fees collected from the program will be returned to each community for local stormwater-related needs. We discussed this in recent Plain Dealer feature.

Executive Director Julius Ciaccia also had his contract extended through 2016. Trustees specifically drew attention to accomplishments such as progress in stormwater management, engineering practices improvements, and implementation of the 25-year Project Clean Lake consent decree.

Lastly, during our monthly project report, we heard that Mackenzie, our 300-foot-long tunnel boring machine will begin drilling by this time next month. Mackenzie is burrowing the 18,000-foot-long Euclid Creek Tunnel on Cleveland's east side, starting her journey in Bratenahl.

STORMWATER: Proposed stormwater-code revisions open for comment through July 10

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is proposing modifications to Title V, the section of the District’s Code of Regulations addressing the Regional Stormwater Management Program. These changes are made to bring Title V in compliance with Judge Pokorny’s Opinion dated February 15, 2012, to comply with the terms of settlement agreements and to address, in some instances, concerns raised by various opposition parties in post-trial discussions.

[Download Title V with proposed changes]

If you have any comments on the proposed changes, please provide written comments by July 10, 2012 by following the instructions on page 2 of the proposal.

STORMWATER: Court rules program can move forward, charge fee for services

On February 15, 2012, Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Thomas J. Pokorny issued an opinion in the case of Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District vs. Bath Township, Ohio, et al. (CV-10-714945).

This is the second ruling from Judge Pokorny reaffirming the Sewer District’s authority to implement a regional Stormwater Management Program; the first ruling occurred in April 2011.

The February 15 ruling includes the following:

• The Sewer District’s Stormwater Management Program fee is authorized under Chapter 6119 of the Ohio Revised Code; the charges proposed are ruled a fee—and not a tax—as the Defendants argued,
• Defendants’ Motion for Permanent Injunction was denied, and
• Judge Pokorny determined that the City of Hudson is a member of the Sewer District.

[Download Judge Thomas J. Pokorny's opinion]

STORMWATER: New round of proposed changes open for comment

Following its recent 30-day public comment period, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is proposing additional changes to Title V, the section of the District's code addressing the Regional Stormwater Management Program, and is also proposing modifications to the related Stormwater Fee Credit Policy Manual. Both documents have been posted for a new 30-day public comment period. All comments must be received by October 3, 2011. Read the full release.