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Township authorizes MS4 contracts to lock in stormwater credits ahead of Sept. 30 deadline
Summary
Township engineers outlined MS4 stormwater projects and available credits; the board authorized staff and solicitor to execute contracts to achieve compliance by the Sept. 30 annual report deadline.
Township staff and engineering consultants updated the board Sept. 8 on MS4 (municipal separate storm sewer system) compliance work completed over the last six years and requested authorization to execute contracts that secure available compliance credits ahead of the state’s annual reporting deadline.
The presentation summarized several projects that yield credits or reduce township capital costs: the Willowbrook Basin retrofit (partly funded by SRBC), Rockenbeck Farm/Clearwater riparian buffer plantings (funded in part by Trout Unlimited and other grants), the Duck Pond Berm (Penn State project credits), and streambank stabilization at Millbrook Marsh (funded by Trout Unlimited with about $405,100,000 referenced for broader program work). The engineering presentation emphasized that accepting credits now will help the township meet permit requirements and buffer against uncertainty in the next MS4 permit cycle.
Township staff said staff are finalizing contracts and asked the board to authorize executing contracts "subject to staff and solicitor review" to allow the township to meet the Sept. 30 annual report deadline. A motion to do so passed by voice vote.
Board members discussed potential liabilities tied to shared projects (for instance, replacement costs if a shared project is damaged by an extreme event), and staff noted agreements will include out clauses and proportional O&M cost shares. The action establishes the township’s participation in multi‑jurisdictional projects to secure credits and compliance for the upcoming permit report.
