TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF MAY 1, 2025
COMMITTEE ON STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Mr. John P. Murray, Acting Executive Director
Title
Report on Green Infrastructure Partnership Project Submittals
Body
Dear Sir:
Between September 2024 and March 2025, the District solicited Green Infrastructure (GI) project proposals from municipalities, townships, and other governmental agencies for District assistance through the District’s Green Infrastructure Partnership Program (GIPP).
As is standard for stormwater partnership opportunities, the District solicited pre-applications for the GIPP. The purpose of the pre-application was to provide feedback to communities so final applications were more compatible with the District’s GIPP. The pre-application involved a short set of questions that did not require highly technical information about a potential project. Communities that submitted pre-applications received feedback to aid them in their submittal of full applications before the March 14, 2025, deadline. The full application provided applicants an opportunity to expand upon their pre-application responses in narrative format, present any technical analyses, and attach supporting documentation. The pre-application responses accompanied the full application to make a complete submission.
Notifications of the District’s open application process for this program were sent to the chief elected official in each jurisdiction as well as other agencies and governmental organizations, and information was posted on the District’s website. Additional outreach was made by the Engineering Department and General Administration’s Environmental Justice Section, prioritizing municipalities who had not previously partnered with the District for a GI project and to Disproportionately Impacted Area (DIA) communities. An informational webinar was also hosted by the District to explain the GIPP pre-application and full application processes. As a result of this solicitation, the District received 29 pre-applications, of which 21 full applications were submitted. Seven full applications were from majority DIA communities.
The Engineering Department reviewed each GIPP application and prioritized the eligible projects based on a variety of factors, including the total retention capacity, drainage area, project visibility, flooding prevalence, whether it’s in a separate or combined sewer area, and economic factors of the community. Of the 21 project applications received, the Engineering Department identified 15 projects to recommend for advancing through partnerships based on the anticipated funding available in 2026 for the District’s GIPP. The projects identified for advancing at this time are listed in the attached table along with an exhibit depicting the location of all applicant projects submitted.
The District will notify each applicant regarding the outcome of the selection process. Applicants whose projects were not identified for partnership will receive feedback on their submissions and encouraged to apply for future partnership opportunities.
For the selected projects, authority to negotiate and enter into individual Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) will be sought from the Board of Commissioners at upcoming meetings for each project. The partner agencies will be required to complete negotiations on an IGA by December 31, 2025, for these projects to be completed in 2026.
Respectfully Submitted, Catherine A. O’Connor, Director of Engineering, KMF:JK
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