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Council hears amendment to WSP stormwater-mapping agreement funded by Restore Act; manual to update decades-old guidance
Summary
Council introduced Amendment 2 to an agreement with WSP for Mobile-area stormwater mapping and resiliency planning funded by Restore Act bucket 3 funds; staff said the work will complete multiple volumes of an updated stormwater manual and that the manual is advisory though it could inform future standards.
The council considered an authorization to amend the city’s agreement with WSP to complete stormwater mapping and a multi-volume update to the city's stormwater manual. The item was presented as agenda item 01613 and identified by staff as part of a Restore Act (bucket 3) grant.
Staff told the council this phase completes remaining volumes of a stormwater manual that was last updated in the 1980s. The first volume, completed previously, focused on low-impact design; the amendment would fund additional volumes including traditional practices for design, hydrology and drainage systems manuals, and tree-planting guidance. Staff said the manual will be used as guidance and that the project included training for local developers, engineers and landscape architects.
Council members asked whether the manual would be mandatory for engineers and site designers. Staff said the manual itself is optional and intended as a resource: “This is optional. We provide training for it. It is not mandatory,” an administration representative said. Staff added that while the manual is not part of this contract's deliverable, the council could later choose to incorporate parts of it into formal design standards or codes.
Staff also said that the engineering department enforces standards through its plan-review process; staff described a practical limit to the department’s authority over private-property design choices but said public-acceptance standards for streets and drainage remain subject to council acceptance.
The item was presented for authorization to amend the WSP contract; transcript did not clearly specify the amendment dollar amount in the portions read aloud. Staff emphasized the project’s goal of improving stormwater practices and offering guidance to local designers and developers.
