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Commissioners authorize judge to sign MS4 stormwater permit notice and approve $400 fee
Summary
Midland County approved adoption of a Phase 2 MS4 Stormwater Management Plan and authorized the county judge to submit the electronic Notice of Intent and pay the $400 permit fee for the 2024–2029 permit term; staff said the plan primarily enforces state requirements to protect water quality.
Midland County Commissioners on Feb. 4 approved adopting a stormwater management plan (SWMP) required under the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Phase 2 MS4 general permit and authorized the county judge to sign the electronic Notice of Intent (NOI) and pay the $400 permit fee.
Amber Sanchez of Park Hill, the county’s consultant, gave a brief presentation explaining the Phase 2 MS4 permit. She said the permit focuses on measures to improve stormwater runoff quality and that Midland County qualifies as a small MS4 in an urbanized area. Sanchez summarized the SWMP’s six required program areas: public outreach and education; public involvement; illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE); construction site stormwater runoff control; post‑construction stormwater management; and pollution prevention and good housekeeping for county facilities.
Sanchez said the permit term will run through the end of 2029 and that the required NOI is due electronically to TCEQ by Feb. 11; the county can expect an approval turnaround of a few weeks. She also described required annual reporting to document completion of SWMP tasks during the five‑year permit term.
The court then considered a motion to adopt the SWMP, authorize the county judge to sign the permit through the EPA/TCEQ eNOI portal via eSign, and to approve payment of the $400 permit fee so the county could meet the filing deadline. Commissioners approved the motion by voice vote.
Discussion versus decision: Commissioners approved the SWMP adoption, authorized electronic filing and payment of the $400 fee, and directed staff to continue implementing SWMP tasks over the five‑year permit term; no additional funding beyond the $400 fee was recorded.
Clarifying details: The speaker said the new permit cycle covers 2024–2029; the NOI submission is required electronically and a county official must set up an account and eSign the NOI. The consultant said the SWMP tasks include maintaining a public webpage, mapping outfalls, hosting litter cleanups, site‑plan review procedures, and training county staff on good‑housekeeping practices for county facilities.
Ending: County staff will submit the NOI electronically and continue SWMP implementation and annual reporting under the Phase 2 MS4 permit.
