City moves to standardize stormwater operations-and-maintenance plans for developers and HOAs

City stormwater and engineering staff presented a new standardized operations-and-maintenance (O&M) template for post-construction stormwater control measures and a plan to record the O&M exhibit with the city's private stormwater conveyance agreement.

Gabriel Munoz Moore, supervising civil engineer in community development, said the template is intended to streamline plan review, improve annual inspections and provide clearer long-term guidance for property owners and homeowners' associations that maintain infiltration chambers, biofiltration planters and other structural control measures (SCMs). Keith Solomon, stormwater program manager, joined the presentation and described the city's annual submission requirements for higher-tier projects.

Why it matters: Higher-tier development projects subject to regional board post-construction requirements (PR 2'4) must maintain SCMs in perpetuity. Staff said inconsistent O&M documents have created uncertainty for owners and inspectors; the new template is intended to make responsibilities clearer, provide standardized inspection checklists and improve public disclosure at transfers of ownership.

What the city will change - Template contents: The draft template lists project and system owner information, an exhibit map showing each SCM with an ID, drainage design criteria, design details and manufacturer information where applicable, expected product life and standard inspection forms. The template includes checklists tailored to SCM type (for example, underground chambers or biofiltration planters) so annual reports follow a consistent format. - Recordation and disclosure: City staff said the O&M exhibit will be attached as an exhibit to the private stormwater conveyance agreement and recorded on the property; staff said this will make O&M obligations and the applicable plan easier to find at time of sale or transfer. The goal is to make the recorded exhibit a practical disclosure for owners and buyers while the city retains a backup copy. - Timeline and implementation: Gabriel Munoz Moore said the template and accompanying guidance will go live on the city website in August. Staff said the goal is to direct applicants and their engineers to the standardized template during plan-check and project closeout so required maintenance and annual inspection submissions are consistent.

Discussion and next steps Attendees generally supported a standardized form but asked about staff support for small HOAs and building managers who lack technical expertise. Presenters said the template includes explanatory instructions and that the stormwater program will maintain online guidance and inspection forms. Staff also said the recorded exhibit will not include personal contact information on the public portal but will display a public symbol indicating O&M participation.

Gabriel Munoz Moore and Keith Solomon asked for feedback and said they will finalize the web posting and instructions; they encouraged applicants and operators to use the template to reduce plan-check delays and to support regulatory compliance with regional board PR requirements.

Speakers quoted in this article are identified from the meeting transcript and include full names and roles at first reference: Gabriel Munoz Moore, supervising civil engineer and community development; Keith Solomon, stormwater program manager; Timmy Choi, community development director.

Ending: The template will be posted on the city website in August and staff said they will accept feedback as they roll the materials into plan check and annual inspection workflows.