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Sunbury staff seek committee OK to contract Delaware County Soil & Water for stormwater inspections
Summary
City staff presented a proposed one‑year intergovernmental agreement with Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District to provide mapping, illicit‑discharge screening, construction and post‑construction stormwater inspections, and annual reporting to the Ohio EPA, funded primarily by developer fees and a city stormwater fund.
City of Sunbury staff asked the Services Committee on May 7 to recommend moving an intergovernmental contract with the Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District to council that would fund stormwater mapping, inspections and annual Ohio EPA reporting.
Scott Stevens, administrator at the Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District, described services the district will deliver under the proposed one‑year agreement, including dry‑weather outfall screening, field mapping of stormwater infrastructure, construction inspections for new subdivisions and individual lots, and post‑construction annual inspections and reporting to the Ohio EPA. "We're contracting the experts then to let us know that yeah," a City staff member said, describing the role as oversight and technical assistance to keep Sunbury in compliance with EPA requirements.
Why it matters: Sunbury adopted local stormwater legislation this January that requires third‑party inspections and created a stormwater fund to collect fees. The proposed contract would implement those enforcement and inspection steps and is intended to be funded primarily from developer inspection fees and the city’s stormwater fund.
Scope and costs: Under the proposal, basic public‑education services (MCM 1, 2 and 6) would be contracted at $1 per resident (same as last year). For construction inspection (MCM 4) the staff estimate anticipates inspecting 175–225 new homes and 6–7 commercial developments over the year, and individual lot inspections are estimated at roughly $250 per permit (actual hours billed will be tracked). Staff presented a low‑end yearly estimate of $105,000 and a high‑end not‑to‑exceed figure of $134,162 and recommended a contract capped near the high end with billing as hours are logged.
Discussion and developer outreach: Staff said the city consulted the Building Industry Association and local developers while drafting the ordinance and the anticipated fee structure. Committee members asked whether developers pay the fees; staff confirmed the fee revenue will come from developers and be tracked in the stormwater fund, with the city making payments to the district from that fund.
Process and timing: Staff asked the Services Committee for a recommendation so the contract can be placed on council’s agenda for two readings. The committee indicated support for beginning with a one‑year agreement and evaluating performance annually; one member noted multi‑year contracts can be administratively efficient but the committee agreed to start with a one‑year contract and reassess.
Next steps: If the committee recommends, staff will forward the agreement to council and return to the Services Committee before final execution so members can review results after the initial year.
