Hooper City told to fix stormwater program after state audit finds 83 deficiencies

Hooper City staff told the council on May 15 that a state audit of the city's stormwater (MS4) program produced 83 findings and requires a rapid corrective response.

City staff said they have one month to submit a plan and six months to complete the corrective actions unless the state approves a longer schedule. A major outstanding requirement is a comprehensive map of the city's storm-drain system, including pipes and catch basins; staff estimated the mapping task will require substantial contractor hours and sought permission to request a longer deadline from the state.

The audit findings include both clerical recordkeeping gaps and items that require limited physical work. Staff said many items are paperwork-heavy (training records, permit files and program documentation) but also include a handful of physical corrections for city facilities. Staff reported they met this week with JUB (engineering consultant) to triage the findings and assign tasks into a first-, second- and third-two-month priority sequence to meet the state's timelines.

Staff emphasized cost implications. According to the presentation, the expense of hiring consultants to correct the audit findings is expected to be substantially less than potential state fines if the city fails to comply. Staff said JUB has proposed using interns where feasible to reduce cost, but significant contractor hours will likely be needed.

The audit also identified required changes to local rules. Staff said the city must adopt or clarify an illicit-discharge provision that specifies where homeowners may discharge pool water (for example, permitting only dechlorinated pool discharges) and must consider whether newer salt-water pool systems are acceptable. The council was told some items will require ordinance amendments and coordination with the city attorney and that staff will return with specific ordinance language when available.

What happens next: staff will draft the one-month corrective plan required by the auditor, return to council with cost estimates and, if necessary, request an extension from the state (staff said they had asked whether the mapping requirement could be extended to four years). The council was told the city will have to decide how to fund any additional consultant or mapping costs, potentially by transferring capital funds or amending the stormwater budget.

The presentation also noted overlapping responsibilities with county and state emergency and health agencies for some preparedness elements of the program; staff said much of the audit is enforcement and documentation driven by state regulators.

Ending: council members pressed for clarity on cost estimates and for staff to report back with a prioritized plan, estimated contractor hours and a schedule for ordinance language needed to satisfy the audit.