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Council reviews proposed stormwater and drainage ordinance rooted in Purdue model; held for second reading
Summary
The council reviewed a comprehensive stormwater and drainage ordinance drafted with guidance from the Purdue model and IDEM permit changes; the item was held for second reading after discussion of technical requirements, bonds, maintenance and compliance.
The Michigan City Common Council on July 15 heard a lengthy presentation from Al Wallace of the Michigan City Sanitary District on a proposed consolidated stormwater and drainage ordinance that would recodify scattered stormwater rules into a single chapter and add state-required provisions.
Wallace said the draft ordinance follows the Purdue University model ordinance and incorporates new Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) requirements for MS4 communities and construction-site stormwater permits issued in December 2021. He described additions including post-construction detention requirements, weekly construction inspections by trained personnel and updated maintenance-bond provisions intended to preserve detention-basin capacity.
Council concerns and clarifications: Council members asked what is new compared with existing rules, and Wallace pointed to newer state permit obligations, more comprehensive post-construction controls and uniform standards that align Michigan City with neighboring communities. Councilman Diedrich objected to some prescriptive elements and to a performance-bond requirement set at 125% of estimated cost; Wallace and other staff said similar provisions now appear in other northern Indiana ordinances and are aimed at ensuring maintenance and preventing localized flooding.
Procedure and next steps: The plan commission reviewed and approved the draft and made findings of fact; the ordinance will be held for second reading and the sanitary district and city planning staff offered to answer technical questions from council members in advance of the next reading.
Why it matters: The ordinance consolidates multiple, decades-old provisions into a single chapter, updates standards to meet IDEM MS4 and construction permit requirements and establishes enforcement provisions (fines up to $2,500 per offense plus costs and damages). Proponents said the changes create uniform standards across the region for designers and developers.
No final adoption occurred July 15; staff said they will provide additional materials and answer council questions before a second reading.
