City Council Meeting Date: July 22, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: James McDermott, Water Quality Technician
Sean Simonson, Engineering Manager
David Bennett, City Engineer/Public Works Director
Title
Consider Approving Execution of Grant Agreement for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Grant for Stormwater Resilience.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council approves the Execution of Grant Agreement (Attachment 1) for the MPCA Planning Grant for Stormwater Resilience.
Summary Report:
The MPCA solicited project proposals to distribute $35 million to communities for projects to prepare local stormwater infrastructure for the impact of climate change. These projects are specifically meant to address water quantity and prevent localized flooding. Project examples include the construction of:
* Storage
o Stormwater retention/detention ponds
o Smart stormwater ponds
o Storage and reuse
o Multi-use storage that provides community amenities when not flooded
* Infiltration
o Rain gardens
o Infiltration basin
o Other bioretention features
* Conveyance system improvements
o Larger pipes without negative downstream impacts
o Above-ground street drainage improvements
* Impervious surface reduction
* Treatment train approaches to slow and reduce volume
As Minnesota's climate continues to warm, extreme storms have pushed aging and undersized stormwater systems in communities across the state to the breaking point. Over the last 20 years, Minnesota has experienced 10 "mega-rain" events, when at least six inches of rain falls over an area of at least 1,000 square miles. Today more than 155,000 homes and apartment buildings, 29,000 miles of roads, and 13,000 commercial?buildings in Minnesota are at risk of severe flooding.
In 2020, the City consulted with Bolton & Menk, Inc. to update its Surface Water Model as well as review known localized flooding issues throughout the community. These localized flooding...
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