City stormwater staff and the nonprofit Waterways briefed the Chattanooga City Council on updates to the RainSmart residential incentive program, emphasizing native-plant-based green infrastructure to reduce stormwater runoff and meet the city's MS4 permit obligations.

"The main point is to reduce stormwater runoff and keep pollutants from our waterways," said Haley Hamblin, a water quality specialist with the city's stormwater division, who led the presentation. Hamblin told the council the program pairs rebates and installation support with education and guidance for homeowners.

Why it matters: RainSmart is intended to divert water from the municipal storm system by encouraging rain gardens, rain barrels, dense native-plant 'support scapes' and, more recently, stream-bank repair. Hamblin said the city currently counts more than 95 RainSmart gardens and that the program's installations capture "just over 21,000 gallons of stormwater" in a 1-inch rain event, a volume that she said would be far more expensive to provide solely through public gray infrastructure.

Program details: Hamblin and Isabelle of Waterways described a two-arm approach: rebates and project tracks administered by the stormwater division and a certification path run by Waterways that rates yards from bronze to gold. Waterways' certification makes properties eligible for a 25%–75% discount on the city's stormwater fee, depending on level. Waterways described its role as a longstanding local nonprofit partner that has worked with Chattanooga and Hamilton County since about 2017.

Maintenance and enforcement: Staff said the program now includes a homeowners' maintenance agreement (five-year minimum), a set of "cues to care" and a clear expectation for visibility and edging of native-planted areas. Hamblin described one explicit standard: native plants within two feet of a roadway or public sidewalk should generally be maintained at no taller than 10 inches to address sight-lines and pedestrian clearance. The presentation said non-native lawn grass also remains limited by the city's existing overgrowth rule (10 inches).

If a RainSmart property receives a complaint, the city's code-enforcement officer will inspect the site and notify the RainSmart staff lead (Isabelle for Rain Smart Yards, Hamblin for rain gardens/support scapes/stream-bank projects). Staff will inspect, record findings and work with the homeowner to prescribe maintenance; property owners have 10 days to return to compliance before a follow-up inspection. Hamblin said the program's internal procedure contemplates multiple opportunities to correct noncompliance and that an internal policy about repeated noncompliance exists but has not previously been broadly published to participants.

Council reaction and follow-ups: Council members praised the program's environmental benefits but pressed staff for clearer public documentation and retroactive compliance steps. One councilor asked whether the internal guidance specifies how many compliance failures result in permanent removal; staff replied the internal standard contemplates a repeat-inspection process (a three-strike approach was discussed internally) and committed to publishing guidance for applicants and current participants. Council members also requested data documenting local job impacts tied to RainSmart contractor work; staff said they would compile contractor counts and relevant metrics.

Other technical points and examples: Staff highlighted demonstration sites (including a restoration at Heritage Park) and said the program's GIS map now plots participating properties by council district and watershed and tracks active/inactive status and fee-discount eligibility.

What happens next: Staff said they will provide the council with clearer, publicly posted maintenance procedures, the maintenance guide referenced during the presentation, and additional data about contractors used through RainSmart. No formal council vote on program changes occurred at this meeting.