TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF MAY 2, 2024
COMMITTEE ON STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Mr. Brian A. Perkovich, Executive Director
Title
Report on Green Infrastructure Partnership Project Submittals
Body
Dear Sir:
Between July 2023 and March 2024, 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 create an opportunity to provide feedback to communities, so final applications were more compatible with the District’s partnership program. The pre-application involved a short set of questions about a potential project that did not require highly technical information. Communities that submitted pre-applications received feedback to aid them in their submittal of full applications before the March 8, 2024, deadline. The full application provided applicants the opportunity to expand upon their pre-application responses in narrative format, present any technical analysis, and attach supporting documentation. The pre-application responses accompanied the full application to make a complete submission.
Notifications 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 those with a majority of their community located in a Disproportionately Impacted Area (DIA). An informational webinar was also hosted by the District to explain the process of submitting a pre-application and full application. As a result of this solicitation, the District received 35 pre-applications, of which 22 full applications were submitted. Nine 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 median income of the community. Of the 22 project applications received, the Engineering Department identified 12 projects to recommend for advancing through partnerships based on the anticipated funding available in 2025 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 contact each of the applicants to notify them of the outcome of our selection. Applicants whose projects were not identified for partnership will be provided feedback on their unsuccessful application and encouraged to submit proposals for consideration in future partnership opportunities. For the selected projects, authority to negotiate and enter into individual Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) for each project will be sought from the Board of Commissioners at an upcoming meeting, and the partner agencies will be required to complete negotiations on an IGA by December 31, 2024, for these projects to be completed in 2025.
Respectfully Submitted, Catherine A. O’Connor, Director of Engineering, KMF:JK
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