Agenda - Planning Commission - 05/03/2018

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Introduction The City of Ramsey is bordered by two natural flowing rivers, the Mississippi River and the Rum River and is therefore committed to protecting the quality of water and limiting the impacts of new developments on our watershed. Ramsey is required to apply for a permit from the National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System Phase II/ State Disposal System program as administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The permit requires preparation of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). This document is the SWPPP for Ramsey Minnesota. Portions of this document were prepared for the 2003 permit application. The 2003 permit were challenged in court and modifications were required as a result of the challenge. Self -Assessment Description Before beginning to select BMPs and Measurable Goals, city staff undertook a self -assessment of our city's stormwater system. This was an evaluation of our city's conditions, needs, and practices. The objective of this process was to provide a knowledge base upon which to structure our SWPPP in order to meet the Permit's Maximum Extent Practicable standard. The self -assessment was guided by materials included in the League of Minnesota Cities NPDES Phase II MS4 Guide Plan. This self -assessment process had two major components: • The first workshop session organized as part of the LMC Guide Plan project included a self -assessment component led by Pat Collins of AMEC Earth & Environmental. This included: o discussion of physical and socio-political watershed and organizational conditions and issues that should guide the selection of BMPs and Measurable Goals o review of two examples of cities with different characteristics to demonstrate how local conditions should shape the selection of BMPs and Measurable Goals o a series of exercises in which our city staff considered the local conditions for our community and how they should guide our selection of BMPs and Measurable Goals. • After the workshop session, we worked with the NPDES Phase II Program Assessment Questionnaire that was included in the LMC Guide Plan notebook. This was a twelve -page document with a comprehensive list of questions that we used to guide us through a self - assessment activity, including consideration of a wide range of stormwater approaches. The results of this process include: • a set of understandings among city staff • written notes of the self assessment meeting • completed Program Assessment Questionnaires from key personnel Together, these items represent our knowledge of our local stormwater system and the conditions that shape it. We have used the results of this self -assessment process to guide our selection of BMPs and Measurable Goals that make up the SWPPP for our Permit Application. Based on this self -assessment process, our staff has considered the following factors in order to meet the Maximum Extent Practicable standard set forth in the Permit: • sources of pollutants • potentially polluting activities being conducted in the watershed • sensitivity of receiving waters Ramsey Minnesota SWPPP -7- May 2006 February 2009