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Perry tables technical drainage ordinance after council asks for more review
Summary
Council tabled a 33-page drainage ordinance that would set stormwater standards, keep resident fees at $3/month, and require one-time ESU-based development fees for new construction; staff will return with clarifications on specifics and implementation.
Councilors on Jan. 26 voted to table a proposed drainage ordinance and asked staff for additional review time on technical elements and publication costs.
City Manager Nate Reed and city engineer Matt explained the ordinance’s goals: set minimum drainage standards, avoid increasing current residents’ monthly charges (residents would remain at $3/month), and require new construction to pay a one-time development fee calculated by ESUs (equivalent service units tied to impervious surface area). The ordinance would also create developer credits for mitigation and allow basin-specific master plans to guide larger capital projects.
Reed said the city lacked a consistent drainage standard and needed a predictable framework for developers and for long-term stormwater funding: "We need to have a standard that we can hold people to so that our residents don't suffer," he said.
Because the ordinance is technical and 33 pages long, councilors and staff agreed more review was appropriate; several members also noted publishing an emergency clause would require seven affirmative votes and significant publication cost. The council voted to table the ordinance to the next meeting to give staff time to refine the language and respond to follow-up questions.
The tabling does not change current fees for residents; staff said the proposal is intended to apply primarily to future new construction and subdivisions and to provide clearer standards for plan review and mitigation.
