Stormwater changes flow toward City Council

It's high time to dive back into the fascinating world of stormwater runoff.

Now that levees and flood walls have gone out of fashion, at least for the time being, I've been thinking about the sort of flood mitigation that really makes my heart skip a beat. And that's watershed management.

It has been a while since I checked in with the Cedar Rapids Stormwater Commission, which has been spending much of the last year revising rules governing runoff from development and redevelopment projects. The goal is to slow and better control runoff, with an eye on flooding and water quality.

The panel is recommending some significant, positive changes. For example, proposed rules would require developers to use strategies that actually absorb runoff on site. Current rules require that a developed site release runoff from a one-inch rain over a 24-hour period. The new rule would require that one-third of that inch be absorbed into the ground on site, so only two-thirds of an inch would be released.

Sure, it's not zero-runoff, which is the tantalizing pie in the rainy sky. But for the first time, developers would be required to actually curtail the flow, not just control it. That's a step in the right direction. Other proposed changes would require that runoff from an extreme rain event be released more slowly. And developers who go above and beyond city rules could receive a credit to, for instance, build smaller detention basins.

“It's small, baby steps to improve water quality. But I think it will make a difference,” said Stacie Johnson, commission chair.

Good stuff. But the real fight might be over a separate issue: fees.

The city currently charges a flat stormwater fee. But there is talk of basing a new commercial fee structure on a property's impermeable surface area, such as asphalt, concrete, etc. Residential fees won't change.

On the upside, the city could provide breaks to developers who do more to reduce runoff, especially retrofitting existing properties. The downside, of course, is that some folks would pay more.

The revised ordinance and fees issue will soon be in the hands of the City Council's Infrastructure Committee. It's chaired by Council member Chuck Swore and includes Council members Scott Olson and Ann Poe. The committee will make recommendations to the full council.

This process will show us if the council is serious about reducing the urban deluge that contributes to flooding, here and downstream. If any city should understand the importance of this issue, it's this one.