Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Stormwater Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents warn of ongoing stormwater problems, cite ADEM findings and economic impacts in Hoover
Summary
Multiple residents urged the council to address stormwater enforcement and chronic flooding that they say damaged businesses and properties, citing Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) letters and consent decrees affecting local developments.
Several residents used public comment at the Feb. 3 Hoover City Council meeting to press the city on stormwater enforcement, citing letters and consent decrees from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and asking for more active city oversight.
Katie Thomas, who identified herself as affiliated with Scout Creek, presented a Nov. 2, 2020 letter from ADEM that she said raised concerns about stormwater inspections in the city, including missing silt fences and related construction deficiencies. She said the city responded in ways that deferred responsibility and that ADEM later entered consent decrees and fines for the developer.
"Hoover tells ADEM, 'not our job,' and three months later they go back in and do that job," Thomas said, reading the timeline she compiled. She said sediment and pollution continued to affect adjacent properties while the city issued waivers and follow-up letters to the developer.
Matt Winther, a Scout Creek Drive resident, linked the stormwater failures to local economic impacts. Winther cited flooding at the former Whole Foods site near Highway 150 and Lorna Road and said ongoing flooding contributed to business closures and lost tax revenue. "Wouldn't it be easier to keep the businesses we have instead of attracting and incentivizing new ones?" Winther asked.
Winther asked the council for information on litigation costs, emergency-response costs and whether the council receives regular updates on stormwater litigation and repair projects. He also asked how many vehicles or people might be harmed by flooding in the affected area.
Neither the mayor nor staff provided detailed, itemized cost figures during public comment. The residents asked the council to investigate enforcement practices, the timeliness of inspections, and the city's willingness to use stop-work authorities when developers fail to implement best-management practices.
The council did not take formal action on stormwater enforcement at the meeting; the comments were recorded in the public record for potential follow-up by staff and council.
