City Council adopts updated stormwater management plan after annual training

Perry City Council received a mandatory annual stormwater training and then unanimously approved Resolution 2025-04 adopting an updated stormwater management plan as part of its MS4 permit obligations.

The training and the management-plan adoption address requirements under the MS4 (municipal separate storm sewer system) program administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and implemented by the state Department of Environmental Quality. City staff told the council the program requires an annual review and periodic updates; the council adopted the updated plan on a roll-call vote.

Public Works staff member Zach, who delivered the training, explained why the training is required and what the city must do to stay in compliance. “As we become more developed, we create more hard surfaces...the more hard surfaces that we create, the more stormwater, doesn't just soak right into the ground,” Zach said, describing how runoff picks up pollutants as it flows to outfalls and community ponds. He noted the city is part of the MS4 permit program and that the plan must be reviewed annually and updated every five years.

Zach walked council through the program’s required minimum control measures: public-education and outreach; public involvement; illicit-discharge detection and elimination; construction-site runoff control; long-term stormwater management; and pollution prevention and good housekeeping for municipal operations. He summarized routine tasks the city performs, including biweekly inspections of active construction sites, outfall sampling after rain events, detention-pond inspections for public and private facilities, and quarterly inspections of city-owned facilities.

On construction oversight, Zach said the city requires preconstruction meetings and minimum biweekly inspections of sites, with additional visits where problems are found. He described standard best-management practices contractors must use — for example, covers for storm-drain inlets, silt fences and measures to reduce dirt tracking onto streets. “They're supposed to be managed and looked at on a minimum of a week, but it's as needed,” he said of inlet covers, adding inspections are required after storm events.

On enforcement, staff said the city previously lacked fining authority, but recent legislation allows fines after a required notice-and-cure process. Zach described a graduated process of verbal and written warnings before fines are assessed, and said most contractors comply once notified.

Staff also noted administrative and operational updates in the new plan: moving inspection records from paper to GIS/cloud systems with assistance from Jones Engineering; cleaning and camera inspections of storm pipes on a recurring schedule split into zones; and requiring retesting for certified stormwater inspectors every two years. Zach estimated the contractor-paid storm-pipe cleaning and camera work costs more than $40,000 annually when contracted in the existing schedule and said the service reduces backups and identifies pipe-repair needs.

After the presentation, Council moved to adopt the stormwater management plan by resolution. The motion for Resolution 2025-04 carried on a roll-call vote: Council member Aaron Young, Council member Dave Walker, Council member Hasler, Council member Wright and Council member Tudor all voted yes. The presiding mayor thanked the Public Works Group for their work implementing changes since the state audit.

The updated management plan will be reviewed again during the city's October annual review and as new state legislation requires additional changes. City staff said Jones Engineering will continue helping track requirements and legislative changes to maintain MS4 compliance.