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Committee approves DeKalb stormwater master plan; commissioners push for curb‑line assessments and pilot green infrastructure
Summary
The Public Works committee approved the county’s first comprehensive stormwater master plan and discussed next steps including rate analysis, targeted basin work, curb‑line assessments in problem neighborhoods, and pilot green‑infrastructure detention projects.
DeKalb County’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday approved a countywide stormwater master plan, which staff and commissioners described as the county’s first structured approach to prioritizing drainage repairs, detention‑pond rehabilitation and long‑term maintenance.
The plan’s executive summary and discussion materials estimate the county needs roughly $500 million to address the backlog of stormwater infrastructure repairs countywide. Committee members said that figure underscores the need for an ongoing funding strategy and near‑term steps to reduce localized flood risk.
Mr. Linton, who responded to technical questions during the presentation, said the master plan provides a “road map” of activities and that staff intend to move into a second phase of work that drills down to specific projects. “We are entering into second phases, trying to drill down a little bit farther into some of the specific items that we can do,” he said.
Commissioner Terry pressed for concrete follow‑up work: an expedited rate‑sufficiency analysis (already underway in part to support a SWIFT loan application for dam work), targeted—“mini‑basin”—reviews in neighborhoods with repeated flooding, and a curb‑line assessment to identify where raised pavement or settled granite curb is consigning stormwater to private yards. “If we see that water is pouring over the curb line … and that road is going to get paved, and we’re concerned that that stormwater could be flooding someone’s house, that would be the priority in my mind,” Terry said.
Commissioners asked staff to invite Arcadis (the consultant on phase two) back to present progress on the Snapfinger Basin work and requested updates on pilot detention/bio‑retention projects and a plan for tracking implementation and funding. The committee approved the master plan by motion and voice vote; staff said amendments and policy ideas discussed by commissioners can be addressed in addenda or subsequent project scoping.
Provenance: Presentation and discussion on the stormwater master plan, including Linton’s remarks and Commissioner Terry’s comments about $500 million backlog and curb‑line policy.
