Oshkosh board reviews Chapter 14 update, staff backs ‘scenario 5’ with higher phosphorus target

Oshkosh’s Sustainability Advisory Board on Jan. 5 received an update on proposed changes to Municipal Code Chapter 14, the city’s post-construction stormwater management ordinance, including a staff-backed recommendation to advance a version labeled “scenario 5.” Department of Public Works staff previously presented the options to the board and took the recommendation to Common Council in July 2025; council followed up and asked staff to move forward in August 2025.

The discussion summarized recent reviews by Plan Commission, which had proposed scenario 5 and amended the redevelopment total phosphorus (TP) reduction requirement from 30% to 34.5%. Board members and staff discussed tradeoffs between environmental goals and permitting complexity, whether to single out the Sawyer Creek watershed for a different standard because of greater impairment, and how redevelopment and total suspended solids (TSS) and TP percentage targets would be applied across mixed-watershed projects.

Staff explained the regional context: DNR MS4 permit cycles phase in stepped percentage reductions over permit cycles (each roughly five years), so meeting long-term phosphorus-removal goals is expected to be gradual rather than immediate. Board members asked for continued coordination with DPW and noted that forthcoming outreach and technical guidance will be important for permitting and for projects that span watershed boundaries.

No formal vote on Chapter 14 was recorded during the meeting. Board members said they will continue to review materials and hear additional presentations; one member noted the ordinance update will also be presented at an upcoming Fox Mill Watershed Conference. Next procedural steps discussed included additional staff briefings and continued work with DPW and plan commission to refine language, percentages, and implementation guidance before any ordinance adoption by Common Council.