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Manatee staff propose stormwater manual changes citing heavier rainfall, use of NOAA Atlas 14 and watershed models
Summary
Public works staff presented draft amendments to the county stormwater management design manual to incorporate NOAA Atlas 14 rainfall data, watershed-management modeling and a proposed flood level-of-service; no formal action was taken.
Manatee County public works staff presented draft amendments to the county stormwater management design manual that would incorporate updated rainfall data (NOAA Atlas 14), use watershed-management modeling for design and introduce new floodplain and street inundation guidance. The presentation was informational; staff said the draft is subject to revision and will return for further input.
Thomas Gerstenberger, public works, told the planning commission the amendments respond to recent extreme rainfall events and flooding tied to Hurricane Debbie and other storms. Staff cited watershed studies (Mill Creek, Bowleys Creek, Pierce Drain and others) that used NOAA Atlas 14 precipitation data and found larger areas of floodplain and different stage relationships than older maps. Gerstenberger said the county is coordinating cooperative watershed plans with the Southwest Florida Water Management District and that several watershed studies have been completed or are underway.
Draft changes described by staff would: (1) allow or require the use of NOAA Atlas 14 rainfall accumulation data and adopted watershed modeling when available; (2) require volumetric or —cup-for-cup— floodplain compensation supported by drainage modeling and include design details to prevent erosion at compensation connections; and (3) introduce a flood level-of-service standard to guide thoroughfare and local-street design and county capital projects. Staff said the proposed language would apply both to private development permitting and county capital projects; effective dates would vary (shorter for standard construction plans, longer for master-stormwater systems already in process).
Staff outlined a public process: prior Development Services Task Force discussions in February and April, the current presentation to the planning commission, a next Task Force meeting on May 29 and additional internal reviews including the county attorney—s office before returning for formal adoption by the Board of County Commissioners. A caller from the public, Anthony Shulo, thanked staff and urged codifying NOAA Atlas 14 into county requirements rather than leaving it to proffers.
No formal action or vote was taken; staff said the schedule is subject to change and urged public and consultant review and comment via provided contacts and online materials.
