Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Stormwater topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
El Paso County launches two multi‑year drainage studies and schedules public meetings
Summary
County staff told the Planning Commission April 16 that a basin study for Hegler/Geek/Elkhart and a countywide stormwater master plan will begin, run about three years, include stakeholder and public meetings and inform future drainage fees charged to new plats.
El Paso County staff notified the Planning Commission on April 16 that two drainage studies are underway: a drainage‑basin planning study covering Hegler Ranch, Geek Ranch and Elkhart Consolidated, and a countywide stormwater master plan intended to assess drainage infrastructure needs and inform fee schedules.
Jeff Rice, the county’s drainage planning manager, told commissioners both efforts are expected to take about three years. He said the basin study for the Hegler/Geek/Elkhart area will have a kickoff public stakeholder meeting April 29 at the Falcon library and the stormwater master plan will have a meeting on May 7 in the county building; the packet lists the April 29 meeting from 2:15 to 5:15 and the May 7 meeting from 3:00 to 5:00 (the transcript does not specify a.m. or p.m.). Rice said the county’s public information office will issue news releases and that stakeholders should expect additional public meetings.
Rice described the basin planning study as a detailed, watershed‑level effort that will examine tributaries and downstream impacts, and the stormwater master plan as a higher‑level countywide assessment. Staff leads named in the meeting were Thomas Donahue (stormwater master plan) and Glen Reese (Hegler/Geek/Elkhart basin study).
Rice said the basin studies and fee analyses will be used to calculate drainage fees applied to new plats ‘‘per impervious acre’’; when developers record plats, the impervious acreage will determine the fee, or developers may be reimbursed from the fund if they construct regional improvements identified in the study. Rice emphasized that the fee system applies to new plats; properties already developed and experiencing drainage problems would be matters for county public improvement efforts rather than subject to retroactive developer fees.
Commissioners asked whether the studies will change fee levels and how costs might be allocated over time. Rice replied the basin studies will inform when and where improvements are needed and will be used to set fee amounts so the county can fund regional improvements as development occurs.
The county is encouraging residents and stakeholders to attend the listed meetings and to provide input about local flooding, erosion or drainage concerns; staff said additional stakeholder meetings will be scheduled as the studies proceed.
