funding your stormwater management program: beg, borrow or steal??? howard redfearn stormwater...
TRANSCRIPT
Funding your Stormwater Management Program:
Beg, Borrow or Steal???
Howard RedfearnStormwater Manager
City of Mansfield
Overview
Budget Estimates Determining capital items, personnel, supplies, etc…
Budget Process Watching your estimates get whacked
Dealing with fiscal realities “I reject your reality and substitute my own” – Adam Savage
– MythbusterDealing with the upcoming MS4 permit renewalStandard Funding Mechanisms
Not sexy, but sure sources of fundsAlternative Funding Solutions
You are about to enter another dimension, not only of taxes and fees, but of “free” money
It’s a FISCAL year, not a PHYSICAL year
Located in south central DFW MetroplexSpread over 3 countiesApproximately 55,000 residentsRapid growth over last 10-15 years
Budget Estimates - Beg
How robust is your program? Your SWMP should drive budget estimates
Map out hourly estimates for personnel for each permit year individuallyDon’t forget those personnel will need “stuff”
Vehicles, sampling supplies, protective gear, computers, office supplies etc…
Excellent time to brief a supervisor on what will be needed for upcoming fiscal year
Budget items
•Personnel Who, how many, type
•Capital Items Trucks, excavators, vac trucks, hydro-seeders, etc…
•Supplies Office stuffs, computers, cell phones, data plans, paper,
printing, protective clothing etc…•Travel Training – professional development•Revenues•Debt
Example
• City of Mansfield will conduct 2 volunteer clean ups per permit year 5-10 hours for selecting dates - verify that no other
department has a major event, no major sports events, and no other national things are going on the same day
If first time – 10 hours to create brochure/flyer – otherwise 2 hours to update flyer
10-20 to select locations 35 hours per event for coordinating 8 hours per event for the event itself 6 hours per event for followup
• 115-140 hours total per year
Example cont’d
Feed 100-150 volunteers - $600Promotional items - $1200
T-shirts, give aways
Printing and advertising - $200Local paper or City newsletter? Take advantage of free sources as
much as possible
Police or fire dept support?Traffic control and/or first aid
Grand Total
115-140 hours for personnel Only includes the primary person coordinating the event
$2,000 for food, advertising, giveaways per event per yearFor a permit term just multiply by 5
Personnel Forecasts
Use the hourly totals for all BMPs to develop a total hourly need
Try to move as many of those hours to existing staff as possible and when feasible
Can use FTEs if your organization uses them Full Time Equivalents
FTEs can be used to staff some position with part time employeesPart timers don’t hit your budget for retirement, medical, etc…
Keep in mind the seasonality of workload
Capital Forecasts
May be driven by needs outside of SWMP Channel maintenance, small construction etc…
Vehicles Is it worth having a small electronic vehicle for events?
Specialty Equipment Contract out or keep in house – that really is the question
A strong argument will help ensure you get what you ask for – even if you have a utility in place
Professional Development
Options are limited MS4 conference and TCEQ Tradefair IECA, SCIECA, COGs, TEEX, some Phase 1s offer training Forester Press, StormCon, EnviroCert, other private groups
Lack of availability makes costs higherNot generally available locallyPool resources with surrounding communities to share cost load for outside organizations
Revenues
Property taxes General fund
Sales taxes General fund
Drainage Utility Fees Dedicated fees – ordinance controls what expenses can be
covered
Special revenues MUDs, Drainage Districts
Debt
Servicing debt will reduce your capacity for annual expenses
Roughly ½ of current revenues for drainage utility go to debt service for $7.1 million in Mansfield
Sometimes there is no choice Detention facilities, large number of capital items (starting
up a new department)
Should never be used to cover annual operating costsWill be limited based on revenues
Fiscal Realities
Propose draft budget After your budget is prepared discuss with supervisor
(unless a director yourself) Over-commit or propose a real budget
Meet with Finance If over committed – offer up items to be cut If you proposed a real budget you may get necessary
funding reducedSome finance departments receive direction from CMO to trim
budgets
Finance takes budget to CMOCMO takes budget to Council
Cost Overruns
•Will depend on particular situation and organization May be able to request reappropriation from Finance May be stuck
•If it is for an item that will cause you to miss implementation of a BMP and report it in the annual report, be sure it is properly explained
Better to have an email or other supporting documentation•No body cares about underruns
Could cause that line item to be reduced next budget year
Standard Funding Mechanisms
General Budget Funded through collected property and sales taxes Your budget needs compete with all other departments Goes up and down with property values/tax revenues
Drainage Utility Dedicated fee for drainage purposes – you know what you’ll
get every year Increases with development Can be used to support NPDES required activities
MUDs, SUDs, and DUDs – OH MY! Special utility districts Not all that common
Drainage Utility Fee
Fee assessed per developed propertyRules set by State CongressGenerally based on impervious area/percentageDedicated, steady fee to be used for stormwater infrastructure – can be used to fund SWMP activitiesRevenues can be used to issue debtBeware robber barons
What about gas wells? Created a new definition for “benefitted user” Allows utility fee to be assessed to entity receiving “benefit”
of impervious improvements, generally property owner Bill energy companies directly Additional $40,000/year to drainage utility Completely eaten up with salaries added for upcoming fiscal
year
Don’t forget other department funding mechanisms Solid waste utility funds – or fee collection Parks ½ sales tax Water utilities water conservation budgets Sanitary utility SSO prevention budgets Public Information – newsletters, websites, mailings, other Bond elections
Can’t be used to fund revolving activities – should include water quality components of public improvements
Take Credit Where Credit is Due - Borrow
The easiest way to “borrow” from another department without upsetting everyone is to take credit for their work
Audits, which will be required in new permit, should help identify existing procedures that can be counted
Will help identify simple changes that can be incorporated
May have to go over head of some managers to get results
CMO buy in is crucial
Probably most difficult annual report data to collect/compile
New Permit Requirements
Combining Public Ed/InvolvementIdentify ‘community wide priority issues”
Bacteria, illegal dumping, nutrients, etc..
Strongly recommend public input procedures and participation in clean ups or other eventsNo real increased costs associated with this MCM, unless you are a newly regulated entity
IDDE New Requirements
Must implement and enforce programMS4 MapTraining – all field staff who may come into contact with illicit discharge – can be in houseSOP for tracingSOP for removingTiers 2,3,4 Procedures to prevent and correct leaking OSSF
Still not clear on exact measures TCEQ is expecting
Tier 3,4 – follow up to verify eliminationTier 4 Identify priority areas and field screen
Construction New Requirements
Provide electronic or written inspection reportConstruction Site InventoryNothing else has really changed
Post Construction New Requirements
Continue doing what we’re doingDocument and maintain records of enforcementMaintenance plan must be filed in the real property records of the countyMust require owner to retain maintenance documents on siteTier 4 – must conduct inspections of post construction measuresDepending on area concerned, Tier 4 MS4s could see cost increases with inspection program
P2 New Requirements
Facility and control inventory Specific list of facilities to be inventoried
Training for appropriate employeesContractor oversight requirements
City contractors must be contractually required to comply with SWMP
Municipal activity assessments required Road and parking, bridge, cold weather and ROW maintenance Identify potential pollutants P2 controls or suggest alternatives Inspect P2 controls
Inspection and cleaning of “catch basins” – its an inlet Prioritize based on problem areas Inspect and clean “as necessary”
Roadway pollution reduction – street sweeping In areas where sweeping is infeasible – alternative methods
Tier 3,4 – Map facilitiesTier 3,4 – Facility Assessment
Once per term Identify High Priority facilities
Tier 3,4 – Facility SOPsTier 3,4 – High Priority Controls
Specific controls for de-icing, material storage, housekeeping, fueling, washing – additional inspection of high priority facilities
Tier 4 – comply with Pesticide General PermitLots of potential to increase operating costs throughout organization
Industrial Program – All New
Tier 4 onlyScaled way back from original proposalMust create inspection program for municipal and private industrial sourcesMust include prioritization and inspection proceduresShould be able to mirror Phase I Industrial ProgramsWill require increased costs if not already implementing
TMDL New RequirementsDo not get me startedStill being ironed outDifferent requirements for TMDL vs. Impaired without
TMDL – come up with benchmark (load)Sampling to meet benchmarkChange BMPs if no progress in 3 yearsMay be in addition to work required by I-Plan
Impaired without TMDLDetermine if contributing in 1 yearImplement BMPs to control pollutant – NOC required in 3 yearsHope is to prevent TMDLs
Backdoor to monitoring – required with TMDL or withoutSeparate requirements for bacteriaThere will be blood – no way this does not increase costs
Remember – lack of funds is not an affirmative defense for not meeting permit requirements
You have to be able to find the money somewhere
Will depend on what you commit to on your SWMP Current staffing, equipment, etc… “Commit low, achieve high” – Gene Rattan
Alternative Funding Universe
Diverse mix of local, State and Federal funding opportunities
Cyclical in nature Most likely will not meet needs of regular O&M Can often be used to “fill the gap” between traditional and
new technologies
Free money is NEVER “free” Most alternative funding consists of grants, loans and other
sources that require local match or record keeping
Not a “silver” bullet for budget shortfalls Can be used to fund a pet project
What can be funded
New educational activitiesDetention facilities
Can include water quality treatment
Planning Flood plans, watershed management plans
New/innovative technologiesConstruction projects
Streambank restoration, constructed wetlands
Equipment, vehicles, personnel (for a time)Anything you can get away with
Common Grants
319 Grants Administered through TSSCWB & TCEQ – funds from EPA Requires local match For non-point sources only Offered annually – regionally competitive
Federal Congress must approve in budget Onerous record keeping
Environmental Education Grants Administered through EPA Offered annually – nationally competitive Project funding limits Onerous record keeping
Cross-pollinating
COG Solid Waste Grants Can’t be used for “stormwater purposes” Will fund equipment, personnel, activities related to
recycling, HHW management, landfill diversion, and illegal dumping
Offered in biennium cycles – State budget Regionally competitive Light record keeping
Brownfields Program Run through EPA Funds Phase I/II ESAs Can help with clean up costs
Parks Grants Too many to name Can be used for any number of parks facilities Can include water quality treatment components in
construction•FEMA Grants
HMGP, FMA, SRL, PMD Administered through TWDB or TxDEM High record keeping requirements Can fund structure removals, detention facilities, wetlands
construction for flood mitigation, planning Local match Federal or regional Local match varies based on grant type
Dry Cleaner Remediation Program Funds collected and set aside for decommissioning dry
cleaner sites Owner/operator has to be one to apply for funds Has to have participated in DCRP
Be registered and pay annual fee May have to pay deductible
State Revolving Loan Program Administered through TWDB – funds from EPA Low interest loans - statewide competition Planning, construction, stormwater and non-point source
projects
•Private grants Numerous private and non-profit environmental
organizations issue grants every year Project and topic specific Lower dollar amounts
•University Cooperation Universities with environmental studies have professors
Professors have students, and hopefully grad studentsGrad students need projects, and professors apply for all manner of
fundingProjects can include sampling, analyzing sampling data,
implementation of new technologies, etc…
Other Groups
Soil Conservation Service/National Resource Conservation ServiceEnvironmental Non-profitsUS Fish and WildlifeNational Parks ServiceTexas ParksTexas Game and WildlifeUS Corps of EngineersKeep America/Texas Beautiful
Many groups – EPA, COG’s, others – offer grant writing classes
Several outside groups that will apply for and administer grant for you
Fee can usually be taken from grant award
Bottom linefunds are available for projects that have a surface
water quality benefit that may not say “Stormwater”
Don’t shy away from them
Does take work Find, apply, administer, report
Can score points with CMO
