City engineer: city does not regulate private construction sites’ pre‑storm runoff beyond standard controls

At the Environmental Advisory Board meeting, City Engineer Nicole Setzer said the city enforces stormwater and discharge rules for properties it owns but generally relies on private property owners to manage their construction‑site runoff. When asked whether the city imposes a formal pre‑storm standard for private construction sites, Setzer replied that the city has no separate plan to relax or change those rules for hurricane events and that owners remain responsible for preventing illegal discharges.

"Construction sites are obviously not the city's responsibility unless it's our construction site," Setzer said, explaining that private sites must comply with existing environmental rules and that the city inspects and, where it finds large discharges into the storm system, requires cleanup. She added that post‑storm inspection priorities depend on public‑safety needs: search and rescue will take precedence over environmental inspections in an immediate response phase.

The board asked whether the city provides guidance in advance of storms; Setzer said the city contacts its own contractors and encourages vigilance five days out, and that earlier examples—such as removing traffic barrels before Hurricane Irma—show practical adjustments can occur when staff coordinate with contractors. The exchange underscored that private‑site compliance is an owner‑responsibility, while the city uses inspections and enforcement if discharges are observed.