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Council reviews stormwater and erosion control ordinance updates tied to DNR grant
Summary
City staff presented a first reading of amendments to Monona's stormwater and erosion-control code to align with DNR and Dane County standards, including new definitions for green roofs, tighter redevelopment thresholds, horizontal-drilling erosion-permit requirements and 25-year storm modeling.
City staff presented a first reading on Feb. 3 of proposed amendments to Chapter 216 of the Monona Code to update the city's stormwater and erosion-control rules.
Public Works Director Brad said the changes are part of the 2024-2025 stormwater quality plan update and are grant-funded by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The update adds a formal definition of "green roof," expands stormwater requirements to more redevelopment sites smaller than 20,000 square feet, and tightens erosion-control reporting requirements.
Brad said the ordinance now requires erosion-control permits for horizontal drilling activities that cumulatively exceed 50 linear feet. That change follows a 2024 DNR standard for horizontal drilling, he said, and was intended to capture more of the newer horizontal-drilling activity in Monona.
Under the proposal, developers would need to model stormwater for the 25-year storm event in addition to existing requirements. Brad said the previous requirement stopped at modeling for a 10-year event and passing the 200-year event through the site; adding 25-year modeling is a significant change because sites will now need to demonstrate on-site treatment for larger storm events.
The amendments also restructure definitions for new development and redevelopment to align more closely with Madison and Fitchburg ordinances. Brad said the goal is to require more on-site stormwater management for smaller redevelopment parcels so the city can avoid costly upsizing of storm infrastructure in the public right-of-way.
Staff said they had shortened the timeframe under which contractors must report completion of final best-management practices so the city can inspect sites sooner (the prior text allowed a much longer reporting window). Brad said he would still prefer shorter notification windows for final inspection but that the proposed language shortens the reporting requirement compared with the existing code.
The ordinance will go next to the Public Works Committee and then return to council for second reading and adoption. No vote was taken at the first reading.
