Wildwood committee prioritizes stormwater planning, invites consultants and MSD to present

Wildwood’s Planning and Parks Committee on Aug. 18 identified stormwater runoff and erosion as the department’s top priority for fiscal 2026 and voted to invite engineering consultants and a Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) representative to brief the committee on a lower-cost stormwater master plan and the timing and mechanics of Prop S funding.

The department presentation said stormwater is the third strategic goal in the city’s strategic plan and that the watershed/erosion task force has documented critical projects and retrofit opportunities. Director Rudich told the committee that a full EPA-style master plan for Wildwood’s nine watersheds would be costly and that two consultants — M3 Engineering and HR Green — proposed a “lower cost solution” that would identify problems in each watershed, propose potential solutions and pursue funding opportunities. “The master plan is a key to funding,” Rudich said.

The request to invite consultants and an MSD representative passed by committee voice vote. City Administrator Thomas Lee and staff described prior financial analyses showing the city is in a strong reserve position but emphasized that the master plan would be the document funders expect before awarding large grants. Committee members asked that the MSD representative explain how Prop S funds would be distributed and applied; staff said Wildwood’s annual Prop S allocation is anticipated at about $300,000 and that the grant application and funding cycles would push construction and work into 2027 and beyond.

Discussion included references to the watershed erosion task force’s multi-year work and a list of critical Cox Creek basin projects that the task force identified as needing near-term attention. Rudich and staff said the proposed “light” master plan would be scoped to produce an actionable list of priorities and funding strategies rather than a full EPA 9-point template, and the consultants would include funding approaches as part of their work. Rudich said he planned to invite HR Green (the consultant lead for the joint proposal) and an MSD presenter in September or October so the committee would have that information in time for the 2026 budget discussions.

Committee members stressed urgency because some erosion problems are actively threatening infrastructure and private property, and they requested clarity on timelines and the tasks that would be included in the consultant scope. No contract or expenditure was approved at the meeting; the committee approved the staff request to schedule consultant and MSD briefings so members have factual information before authorizing spending or adding projects to the capital improvements program.

Background and next steps: staff will schedule consultant and MSD briefings for an upcoming meeting (staff suggested September, if possible), present a scope and likely cost for the scaled master-plan approach, and include any timing or match requirements tied to Prop S or other grant programs. The committee did not finalize a consultant selection or authorize funding at the August 18 meeting.