Agenda - Public Works Committee - 08/20/2024

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1) Purpose of Policy The purpose of this policy is to provide direction and guidance for maintaining the water quality and flood prevention functions of all City of Ramsey (City) stormwater management facilities including drainageways, storm sewer pipes and culverts, drainage structures, ponds (man- made) and wetlands (natural). This policy supports the City's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit, Surface Water Management Plan, and Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan. All activities undertaken as part of this policy will be performed in compliance with applicable local, state and federal codes, rules, statutes, and other legal requirements. 2) City Responsibilities The City is responsible for maintaining all City-owned stormwater management facilities including structures, pipes, ponds, wetlands and drainageways that are part of the City's drainage system. If a ditch, pond or wetland is not part of the City's drainage system, that responsibility belongs to the property owner. The level of maintenance will vary by pond based on the design and function of the pond. Work on naturally-occurring ponds, wetlands, brooks, rivers, streams, and other surface water conveyances, will be limited to maintaining drainage structures, pipes and culverts, and to removing obstructions to flow such as excess silt or vegetation in connecting conveyances, to maintain the flow of water and to prevent flooding. While some naturally-occurring ponds and wetlands may also provide water quality benefits, maintenance projects will not be undertaken to enhance water quality functions but rather to maintain the quantity and rate of surface water flow to prevent property damage caused by flooding. Maintenance work will not be completed solely for aesthetic purposes or to control odors, such as removal of trash, debris, or vegetation, or restoration of open water areas. Such work will only be completed if required to maintain the drainage functions of the pond. Work on man-made stormwater retention ponds will be done to the same standards as the naturally-occurring ponds and wetlands. Maintenance work will focus on maintaining the flood prevention function of the pond as necessary to restore the pond to its original design standard for treatment of surface water, in addition to maintaining connected drainage structures, pipes, culverts and channels to prevent flooding. Some ponds are subject to maintenance agreements between the City and the landowner. Before the City performs any maintenance work on these ponds, the agreement must be dissolved upon agreement by all parties.