Taneytown to adopt Carroll County stormwater code; planning commission briefed on change

Town planning staff told the Taneytown Planning Commission that the mayor and council will consider an ordinance replacing the city’s existing stormwater management code with Carroll County’s stormwater code and related county stormwater supplement.

Staff said Taneytown is already embedded in county stormwater processes: the town participates in a joint NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit managed largely by the county, contributes a share of staffing costs, and uses outside consultants (CDM Smith) for technical reviews. Adopting the county code will align local development practices with nearby jurisdictions and allow engineers familiar with Carroll County’s approved stormwater supplement to apply familiar practices inside the town, though staff noted some measures may not be technically suitable due to local soil conditions.

Staff also explained that Carroll County will assume certain inspection responsibilities, including a three-year inspection cycle for stormwater facilities inside town limits; the county will absorb these inspections within its larger portfolio of facilities and will relieve the town of some administrative and inspection burdens. The planning commission was briefed for information only because the stormwater ordinance is not a zoning ordinance and therefore does not require planning commission approval.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about whether the county’s responsibilities would cover stormwater facilities on city-owned property; staff replied the county’s role applies to new stormwater management facilities within the town’s limits. No formal action by the planning commission was recorded; the ordinance is expected to be before the mayor and council next month.