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Council withdraws drainage ordinance for more study; DPW to coordinate with neighboring towns and RIDEM
Summary
Council removed Ordinance O2 from the agenda at the DPW's request after staff said state guidance on sump‑pump discharge and MS4 permitting is unclear; staff will coordinate with Barrington, RIDEM and USGS monitoring efforts before reintroducing the item.
Warren — After public and staff discussion about drainage and runoff language in Ordinance O2, the Warren Town Council agreed to withdraw the ordinance from the agenda and ask the Department of Public Works to continue coordination with neighboring towns and state agencies.
DPW staff described a gray area under the town's MS4 stormwater permit about whether sump‑pump discharges would count against the permit; they reported reaching out to Save the Bay and other communities, and said Roger Williams University and the USGS are studying groundwater monitoring approaches to inform local policy.
"Currently on the permit, it's kind of gray area if it'll affect our permit if some pumps are being discharged," a DPW representative said during the discussion. Staff emphasized the town can waive enforcement in emergency or safety cases but recommended more time to coordinate a consistent regional approach. Council agreed to remove O2 from the current agenda and directed staff to return with additional information and recommended language.
Provenance: Ordinance O2 discussion begins at SEG 317 and the motion to remove the item occurs around SEG 444–454.
