Ordinances-2012-313

CITY OF TIFFIN ORDINANCE NO. 2012-313 AN ORDINANCE REGARDING POST-CONSTRUCTION STORM WATER RUNOFF CONTROL BE IT ENACTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF TIFFIN, IOWA: Section 1: Purpose. It is the purpose of this ordinance to: 1. Protect, maintain, and enhance the environment of the City and the public health, safety, and general welfare of the public by adopting as the City's standards, the guidelines established in the Iowa Storm Water Management Manual (hereinafter referred to as the "standards") to manage the storm water runoff to improve water quality and control the maximum rate of flow to prevent downstream flooding; and 2. Enable the City to comply with the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit (NPDES) and applicable statutes and regulations for storm water runoff through the following objectives: A. Minimize increases in storm water runoff from development within the City limits and fringe areas in order to reduce flooding, siltation, increases in stream temperature, and stream bank erosion and maintain the integrity of stream channels; B. Minimize increases in nonpoint pollution caused by storm water runoff from development which would otherwise degrade local water quality; C. Minimize the total annual volume of surface water runoff which flows from any specific development project site after completion, to not exceed the pre-development hydrologic regime to the maximum extent practicable; D. Reduce storm water runoff rates and volumes, soil erosion, and nonpoint source pollution, whenever possible, through establishment of appropriate minimum storm water management standards and best management practices (BMPs) and to ensure that BMPs are maintained and pose no threat to public safety. Section 2: Findings. 1. The United States Environmental Agency's (EPA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program administered by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) requires that cities meeting certain demographic and environmental criteria obtain from the IDNR an NPDES permit for the discharge of storm water from a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit. The City is subject to the NPDES permit program. 2. Land development and associated increases in impervious cover alter the hydrologic response of local watersheds and increase storm water runoff rates and volumes, flooding, stream channel erosion, and sediment transport and deposition; this storm water runoff contributes to increased quantities of waterborne pollutants; and storm water runoff, soil erosion, and nonpoint source pollution can be controlled and minimized through the regulation of storm water runoff from development sites.