Winter Springs adopts stormwater master plan after months of study and public concern about flooding

The Winter Springs City Commission voted unanimously to adopt an 18-month stormwater master plan on Thursday, advancing a multiyear Capital Improvement Program and directing staff to return with a pond maintenance policy and a rate study early next year.

The plan, presented by Public Works and Utilities staff with Kimley‑Horn consultants, inventories the city’s stormwater assets, scores needs across watersheds and identifies 46 areas of interest that informed 12 larger-scale capital projects. "We identified 46 areas of interest, and those were used to then further identify 12 capital improvement projects," said Matt Brosman, a professional engineer with Kimley‑Horn, during the presentation.

Why it matters: the master plan is intended to form the backbone of a stormwater utility and to guide future maintenance, permitting, grant-seeking and budgeting. Staff said the document is a prerequisite to developing a utility rate study and that a separate pond maintenance policy will be presented in January to refine the financial model.

What the plan would do: consultants described a five‑phase program — system inventory, maintenance and retrofit planning, equipment and staffing analysis, CIP development and financing/rate analysis. The plan’s priorities are based on a weighted scoring system that accounts for 25‑ and 100‑year level‑of‑service goals, downstream impacts, maintenance and land-acquisition complexity and benefit per dollar.

Funding and timing: Brosman and staff cautioned the commission that project cost estimates are conceptual and could vary widely as sites are surveyed and permits are obtained. "These are not fixed costs," a consultant said; staff warned estimates might be "plus or minus 25 to 50 percent." Staff and consultants said they will use the adopted CIP to inform a five‑year capital budget and the Raptellus rate analysis to determine implementation timing and impacts on utility rates.

Public concerns and local detail: several residents urged the commission to address long‑standing local flooding and to include unincorporated or private parcels in future analyses. Jerry Wood, who said he has cared for the Clifton Springs area for three decades, told commissioners the study omitted some historic storms and asked for a focused workshop on Clifton Springs. "We've had serious flooding in that zone for a long time," Wood said, and asked the city to reconcile additional historic storm impacts before finalizing implementation steps.

HOA costs: Howell Creek Reserve treasurer Tim Wansberry told the commission his HOA has spent about $160,000 on maintaining ponds and asked the city to consider higher utility credits for gated communities that shoulder significant private stormwater costs. "If we don't do our job then ... that affects a lot of other folks," Wansberry said, urging the city to factor private maintenance into future rate discussions.

Grants and intergovernmental coordination: staff and consultants said large flood‑protection grant windows are typically available only after declared disasters (for FEMA/state programs), while water‑quality grants from the state (DEP) are more regularly available but address a different set of goals. David Hamstra of Pegasus Engineering noted the limitations for large flood projects outside emergency declarations and encouraged a sustained local funding strategy while pursuing grant opportunities.

Next steps and vote: the commission adopted the plan and tasked staff to return with a pond maintenance policy and the utility rate study schedule (public presentation anticipated in January). Deputy Mayor Kate Resnick moved to approve Item 500; the motion was seconded and the commission voted unanimously to adopt the master plan. City staff will bring refined cost estimates and policy options to upcoming meetings so the commission can consider rate impacts and implementation timing.

The adoption begins a multi‑step process: implementation will require permitting, coordination with county and state partners and additional on‑site design work. Staff emphasized the document is a working plan that will be updated as funding, grant opportunities and detailed engineering information become available.