The City finds that:
(a) Water bodies, roadways, structures and other property within, and downstream of the City are at times subjected to flooding;
(b) Flooding is a danger to the lives and property of the public and is also a danger to the natural resources of the City and the region;
(c) Land development alters the hydrologic response of watersheds, resulting in increased storm water runoff rates and volumes, increased flooding, increased stream channel erosion, and increased sediment transport and deposition;
(d) Storm water runoff produced by land development contributes to increased quantities of water-borne pollutants;
(e) Increases of storm water runoff, soil erosion, and non-point source pollution have occurred as a result of land development, and cause deterioration of the water resources of the City and downstream municipalities;
(f) Increased storm water runoff rates and volumes, and the sediments and pollutants associated with storm water runoff from future development projects within the City will, absent reasonable regulation and control, adversely affect the City's water bodies and water resources, and those of downstream municipalities;
(g) Storm water runoff, soil erosion, and non-point source pollution can be controlled and minimized by the regulation of storm water runoff from development;
(h) Illicit discharges contain pollutants that will significantly degrade the City's water bodies and water resources;
(i) Illicit discharges enter the Municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) through either direct connection (e.g. wastewater piping either mistakenly or deliberately connected to the storm drains) or indirect connections (e.g., infiltration into the storm drain system or spills connected);
(j) Establishing the measures for controlling illicit discharges and connections contained in this chapter and implementing the same will address many of the deleterious effect of illicit discharges;
(k) Adopting the standards, criteria and procedures contained in this chapter and implementing the same will address many of the deleterious effects of storm water runoff;
(l) Adopting these standards is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety and welfare.
(Ord. 07-2002-10. Passed 7-2-02; Ord. 07-2002-12. Passed 8-12-02.)