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B. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System: Local Stormwater Management Program. What is NPDES and what does it mean for Redwood City? REPORT: General Services Department, February 6, 1995 General Services Director Ingram presented the staff report describing the unfunded federally mandated local stormwater management program, the damage to the environment caused by water borne pollutants, and the program's impacts on the City's infrastructure and budget. Director Ingram introduced City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG) NPDES General Program Manager Patrick Sweetland, also the Public Works Director of Daly City, who described how the twenty cities of San Mateo County and the County itself pooled their money to research this federal mandate, and described neighboring cities' programs and how they were financed. A video was presented showing the devastating effects of allowing pollutants, such as oil, grease, animal waste, plastic products, pesticides, and garden materials and leaves, flowing untreated into streams, rivers, lakes, bays and oceans. Director Ingram explained the STOPP program (San Mateo Countywide Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program) which recognizes that the automobile is the number one contributor to pollution in California; and described the City's proactive and entrepreneurial approach to this federally mandated program which is administered at the state level. Director Ingram described how General Services' aggressive preventive maintenance has reduced flooding and will be a major factor in meeting the goals of the NPDES. City Engineer Luck described the three water basins in Redwood City and advised that the NPDES program will necessarily create partnerships to resolve issues; and one jurisdiction cannot ignore the impacts of its run-off into other jurisdictions. Program Manager Sweetland described the history of responses to the imposition of NPDES by the federal government on local jurisdictions, the negotiations that have taken place with the Board in receiving approval of local programs, and how other jurisdictions have funded their programs. Director Ingram further described possible funding options, and advised that this issue would be studied by the Council Utilities Committee with a report to the full Council in the near future. Council discussed how best to fund the program, and asked the Utilities Committee to fully research this issue. Council asked for more information on legal requirements of funding, and the budgetary impacts on continued use of general funds or imposition of service fees. Council suggested ways to alert the people of Redwood City to this unfunded mandate, the penalties for non-compliance, and suggested ways to help the clean-up effort, such as service organizations painting catch basins or an "adopt a creek" program. MINUTE BOOK NO. 53 Special Council Study Session Minutes Page No. 056 February 6, 1995 Page 3 ~ --- ----~