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Marshall City gives annual MS4 stormwater update; staff training and facility plans flagged
Summary
Council received the annual Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) update, which noted outreach efforts, increased construction review work, large maintenance-hour totals, nine illicit discharge investigations, and missing dry-weather training to be addressed by a consultant.
Council member Brant delivered Marshall City’s required annual report on the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) on March 4, noting outreach activities, maintenance metrics and gaps in staff training.
The update described the city’s six MS4 permit focus areas under the Missouri Department of Natural Resources permit — public outreach and education, public involvement, illicit discharge detection and elimination, construction site runoff control, post-construction runoff control and good housekeeping/municipal operations — and listed recent activity under each. Brant said the city continues public education on stormwater protection, noting an emphasis on reminding residents that “where storm flows, everything goes.”
The nut graf: the report showed active outreach and maintenance work but identified two compliance gaps that the city plans to address: required dry-weather field training for staff was not completed because of turnover, and updated stormwater pollution prevention plans are needed for city maintenance facilities after the last permit update.
City staff reported outreach this year that included website information, Facebook posts, Chamber of Commerce newsletter tips, direct mail, household hazardous waste assistance, marking two stormwater inlets with “no dumping / drains to stream” messaging, and distributing pet-waste bags. The report said roughly 2,500 pet-waste bags were collected through park dog-waste stations.
On enforcement and oversight, Brant reported nine illicit-discharge reports investigated and resolved during the year. He described an increased workload tied to development: Marshall had a record number of projects requiring consultant plan review and developer education, and staff performed construction oversight and permitting intended to limit sediment and pollutant discharge.
Maintenance totals cited in the report included more than 1,628 hours of street sweeping, about 1,239 hours of stormwater inlet cleaning and roughly 1,023 hours spent picking up litter in rights-of-way. The annual review recommended broader staff training across municipal maintenance and municipal utilities staff so all 11 required training topics are covered; Brant said a consultant will provide the dry-weather field-training sessions to close that gap.
City Administrator (name not specified) and municipal services staff also briefed council on several visible stormwater projects underway or planned, including work on Cotton Street, an identified hold-down at La Paz, and a district behind RP Lumber. The administrator said staff have been meeting with the city’s engineer and with affected homeowners and requested that residents with stormwater concerns contact City Hall or Municipal Services for coordination. The administrator also said the city expects to schedule a public meeting to present details on a College of Miami intersection/sidewalk project once engineering and MoDOT administrative steps progress, likely after April.
The report was informational; no ordinance or binding action was taken during the presentation. Council members asked questions and were told a consultant will assist with the training shortfall and that staff will notify affected residents and businesses as projects proceed.
Looking ahead, staff said they will update facility stormwater pollution prevention plans to match permit requirements and incorporate stakeholder feedback as engineering for funded projects advances.
