Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Stormwater Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sumner County to rewrite stormwater resolution to meet TDEC MS4 permit; commissioners discuss stormwater utility and a small flood control unit
Summary
Planning staff told the commission that Sumner County must update its stormwater management resolution to comply with TDEC MS4 permit requirements and that a draft will be presented at a future meeting.
Planning staff told the commission that Sumner County must update its stormwater management resolution to comply with Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) rules for MS4 jurisdictions and that a draft will be presented at a future meeting.
Staff explained that MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) designation carries a set of required minimum control measures — including public engagement and outreach, on‑site construction controls, detention and permanent stormwater management — and that the county’s current resolution has not been updated since 2016. “It’s about water quality,” staff said, summarizing the permit’s focus.
Among the changes staff said they will recommend is establishment of a stormwater board of appeals; the staff proposal would name the existing Board of Zoning Appeals to serve that role so the county does not create an additional board. Staff said appeals to the stormwater board would remain rare but that having a named appeals body aligns local procedure with TDEC expectations.
Commissioners used the discussion to raise broader funding and operations options. One commissioner noted that some cities assess a stormwater utility fee to generate recurring revenue for drainage projects; staff said Henderson County’s utility can generate roughly $3 million a year for stormwater projects in incorporated areas. Commissioners and staff discussed whether an unincorporated‑area stormwater fee or a small county flood control crew (a truck, maintenance staff and small crew for targeted debris and culvert work) would be an appropriate measure to address repeated flooding at specific sites.
Staff also described targeted, low‑cost interventions — for example, gravel removal at a known choke point in Cotton Town — that had improved flooding at a local intersection. Staff said recurring problems at undersized culverts and bridges may reflect both development‑related runoff increases and legacy undersized structures.
No formal action was taken; staff will return with a draft resolution and, if the commission desires, follow‑up analysis on stormwater funding options and potential organizational responses.
