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Staff proposes bringing erosion- and sediment-control permitting in-house from Iredell County
Summary
Engineering staff proposed the town assume local erosion- and sediment-control permitting now handled by Iredell County, requesting three inspectors, one supervisor and an engineer and estimating year-one startup costs of roughly $760,000 with partial fee revenue expected to offset operations.
Engineering manager Ashton Walker briefed the board on a plan to move local erosion- and sedimentation-control permitting from Iredell County to the town. Walker said bringing the program into the town’s one-stop permitting model would improve response times, allow more proactive enforcement and provide a single point of contact for applicants.
Program structure and costs: Staff proposed a five-person program split across two departments. The plan includes one civil engineer (to remain in engineering for plan review) and three stormwater program staff — two erosion-control inspectors and a supervisor — who would report to the stormwater program manager. The request includes three vehicles for field staff and initial startup costs such as training and equipment.
Walker said staff modeled revenues from fees using nearby municipal programs as a benchmark and estimated program fee revenue would cover about 25% of program costs; the remainder would be general-fund supported. The draft budget impact indicated roughly $763,000 in first-year startup costs and roughly $592,000 in ongoing annual net costs thereafter (estimates include personnel, vehicles and operating costs).
Board reaction and next steps: Commissioners asked for clarification about online permitting and how the county currently operates the program; staff confirmed the county accepts online plan submissions but emphasized that local enforcement authority and day-to-day inspection response would be improved by a town-run program. The board asked staff to refine fee proposals, provide comparative benchmarks and return with a final transition plan for possible DEQ review and Sedimentation Control Commission approval.
Ending: Walker said staff will work with the county and the state Department of Environmental Quality on a transition plan and prepare the detail required for a Sedimentation Control Commission review if the board directs proceeding.
