City Council Meeting Date: January 19, 2021
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Sean Simonson, Engineering Manager
Cole Johnson, Water Quality Technician
Title
Consider Approving the Contract with Cannon River Water Partnership.
Body
Action Requested:
Northfield City Council adopts a Motion approving the attached contract with the Cannon River Water Partnership (CRWP).
Summary Report:
The City of Northfield is authorized to discharge stormwater associated with the small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) permit under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Under the provisions of the NPDES stormwater permit, the City has developed a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) approved Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). This SWPPP includes implementation and reporting activities identified in the SWPPP as “Best Management Practices” or BMP’s. Included among these BMP’s are six (6) Minimum Control Measures (MCM’s) the permittee (City of Northfield) must incorporate into the SWPPP, MCM (1), Public Education and Outreach, and MCM (2), Public Participation/Involvement.
Both MCM 1 and MCM 2 are aimed at informing residents, businesses, and industries in Northfield of measures that can be taken to reduce the volume of stormwater and stormwater related pollutants loading to area waters. The City has contracted with the Cannon River Watershed Partnership since 2013 to assist with these conditions of the permit.
The proposed contract is a 1-year contract for the 2021 calendar year. CRWP activities are listed in Exhibit 1 of the proposed contract (Attachment 1). Notable changes to the 2021 Contract include adding a news article changing the number of news articles from four to five. News articles have been given direction to focus on the following; Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Winter Salt Use, Pet Waste, Household Chemicals and Yard waste, and promotion of City stormwater cost-share programs. The New MS4 Permit requires the City to educate the public on specific stormwater topics which have been addressed by the changes to the 2021 CRWP contract. Methods of delivery for each contract item have also been changed to allow for virtual presentations due to COVID-19.
Alternative Options:
The City could manage this program with in-house staff, which would take staff time away from the four (4) remaining MCM’s that were found to be lacking as part of the 2014 MPCA Audit. Staff is not recommending this approach.
Financial Impacts:
The cost for the contracted service is $13,090 for the 2021 calendar year. The funding is included in the 2021 stormwater-operating budget.
Tentative Timelines:
With the approval of the contract, activities will be ongoing throughout the 2021 contract term.