Town staff outlines stormwater fixes, new inspector and master‑plan work

Town stormwater staff updated the council on recent fixes and pending work tied to recurring drainage issues and the June 2024 storm, saying changes to design standards, inspection practice and enforcement are underway to reduce recurring failures.

Mark Henderson (town staff) reviewed common problem types uncovered in inspections — poorly installed swales, insufficient inlet depths, missing emergency overflow paths, and issues caused when property owners alter drainage patterns. He said the town had retained engineers to evaluate problem areas, held developers responsible where warranty or installation failures were found, and tightened temporary‑erosion and sediment control enforcement including stop‑work orders when required.

Henderson told the council the town budgeted $200,000 for stormwater this year and had spent about $132,000; work completed included new concrete diversions, extended storm sewer and additional inlets. Staff said updated criteria and inlet certification requirements are being implemented and that the town will add a full‑time stormwater infrastructure inspector in the next year.

The report also described planned design changes set to affect upcoming developments — on one example staff estimated a 56% increase in required storm inlets, a 36% increase in pipe length/size and a 27% increase in pond volume under the new criteria — and noted the town will solicit a contract to update its stormwater master plan and funding options for ongoing maintenance.

Councilmembers asked technical follow‑ups about nuisance groundwater, chase drains and whether some localized groundwater problems will resolve over time; Henderson said perched groundwater commonly subsides and chase drains are considered when necessary. The council did not take formal action on the update but directed staff to continue implementing updated standards and staffing changes.