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Harahan adopts stormwater ordinance; regulatory director highlights new digital tools and enforcement progress
Summary
The council approved a new stormwater regulation to meet MS4/LDEQ requirements and updated enforcement practices. Regulatory Director Molly McGinnis described a new online permitting portal and CompanyCam photo tracking showing nearly 200 documented violations since adoption.
The Harahan City Council approved an ordinance adding stormwater regulations to the city code after a detailed presentation from Regulatory Director Molly McGinnis about permitting, enforcement and compliance with MS4/LDEQ requirements.
McGinnis told the council the city now has a web portal for building permits, contractor licenses and inspection requests, and that the regulatory team has adopted CompanyCam to photograph and timestamp enforcement actions. She said the department has logged almost 200 reported violations in CompanyCam since adopting the system about a year ago, and estimated roughly 20 cases are progressing through the court process with roughly 40 currently open and being managed.
On the ordinance’s technical language, council members debated thresholds for triggering stormwater controls. The adopted ordinance sets a trigger for projects exceeding a specified impervious threshold (the draft referenced 7,000 square feet for redevelopment and certain multifamily/large residential proposals) and includes an amendment clarifying the exemption if multifamily development is not permitted by zoning. Council approved the ordinance as amended, 3–1 (one member absent).
Council members said the regulation aligns Harahan with the MS4 permit framework overseen by LDEQ and the EPA and will help protect local drainage, sanitary systems and downstream water bodies. McGinnis said the updated stormwater management plan has been submitted to LDEQ and that the ordinance will give staff enforceable procedures to prevent post-development runoff from overburdening the city’s drainage system.
Councilors also discussed implementation details: which projects need a stormwater plan, how residential clusters are treated, and whether the city should be more prescriptive if zoning rules change in the future. McGinnis and staff said they will prepare guidance for developers and homeowners and coordinate with the planning and zoning board when zoning-related questions arise.
