The City of Mount Vernon, hereinafter referred to as "the City", adopts this Chapter to establish the Stormwater Utility and Utility Enterprise Fund for the operation, maintenance and improvements to the City's stormwater conveyance system. The Chapter also establishes feasible and economically reasonable standards to achieve a level of stormwater quality and quantity control, and management and conservation practices that will abate erosion of the soil and degradation of water resources by soil sediment caused by nonfarm, earth-disturbing activities. This Chapter will promote and maintain the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the City of Mount Vernon.
This Chapter further intends to:
(a) Permit development while keeping downstream flooding, erosion and sedimentation at existing levels.
(b) Reduce water quality impacts and damage to receiving water resources, streams, and drainage systems, and wetlands that may be caused by increases in the quantity and/or rate of water discharged, and impairment of their capacity that may be caused by sedimentation due to new development or development activities.
(c) Establish a basis for the design of all storm drainage systems that will preserve the rights and options of both the dominant and servient property owners and help assure the long-term adequacy of storm drainage systems.
(d) Ensure that stormwater management practices are properly designed, constructed, and maintained.
(e) Minimize the need to construct, repair, and replace subsurface storm drain systems.
(f) Strive to preserve natural infiltration and ground water recharge, and maintain subsurface flow that replenishes water resources, except in slippage prone soils.
(g) Incorporate stormwater quality and quantity controls into site planning and design at the earliest possible stage in the development process.
(h) Reduce the expense of remedial projects needed to address problems caused by inadequate stormwater management.
(i) Maximize use of stormwater management practices that serve multiple purposes including, but not limited to, flood control, erosion control, fire protection, water quantity control, water quality protection, recreation, and habitat preservation.
(j) Design sites to minimize the number of stream crossings and the width of associated disturbance in order to minimize the City's future expenses related to the maintenance and repair of stream crossings.
(k) Maintain, promote, and re-establish conditions necessary for naturally occurring stream processes that assimilate pollutants, attenuate flood flows, and provide a healthy water resource.
(Ord. 2019-35. Passed 11-12-19.)