Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety Wednesday approved a contract to assess the city’s stormwater program. Warsaw will hire Christopher B. Burke Engineering, LLC, an engineering firm that specializes in stormwater compliance. Board member Charlie Smith made the motion to approve the $77,500 contract with the company, seconded by Jeff Grose. The company will help the city set up a reasonable and justifiable stormwater fee to comply with Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s designation of Warsaw as a stormwater program community, said Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer. The city has hired a stormwater coordinator to oversee the illicit stormwater discharge detection. “IDEM wants to make sure that communities are monitoring what is going down the drain,” Thallemer said. Christopher Burke Engineering will create a five-year capital improvement plan for stormwater projects, Thallemer said. The costs associated with the programs are offset by the stormwater fee that at some point will be added to residents’ sewage bills. Many communities have already instituted a fee for their stormwater, but Warsaw has not, Thallemer said. The tasks will include a $65,000 stormwater utility rate study including $4,000 to evaluate existing stormwater data, $3,000 to review the stormwater program organization, $8,000 to prepare a comprehensive stormwater program budget, $25,000 to use the city’s GIS date to digitize the surface area of residential properties, $15,000 to determine a stormwater user fee and rate structure and $10,000 to prepare a stormwater rate report. Other charges are $4,000 to illicit stormwater discharge detection and elimination, $5,000 for ongoing technical assistance for the stormwater program, and $3,500 for a stormwater quality management plan.
Warsaw will hire Christopher B. Burke Engineering, LLC, an engineering firm that specializes in stormwater compliance. Board member Charlie Smith made the motion to approve the $77,500 contract with the company, seconded by Jeff Grose. The company will help the city set up a reasonable and justifiable stormwater fee to comply with Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s designation of Warsaw as a stormwater program community, said Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer. The city has hired a stormwater coordinator to oversee the illicit stormwater discharge detection. “IDEM wants to make sure that communities are monitoring what is going down the drain,” Thallemer said. Christopher Burke Engineering will create a five-year capital improvement plan for stormwater projects, Thallemer said. The costs associated with the programs are offset by the stormwater fee that at some point will be added to residents’ sewage bills. Many communities have already instituted a fee for their stormwater, but Warsaw has not, Thallemer said. The tasks will include a $65,000 stormwater utility rate study including $4,000 to evaluate existing stormwater data, $3,000 to review the stormwater program organization, $8,000 to prepare a comprehensive stormwater program budget, $25,000 to use the city’s GIS date to digitize the surface area of residential properties, $15,000 to determine a stormwater user fee and rate structure and $10,000 to prepare a stormwater rate report. Other charges are $4,000 to illicit stormwater discharge detection and elimination, $5,000 for ongoing technical assistance for the stormwater program, and $3,500 for a stormwater quality management plan.
