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SWM-PS 991001Attachment A FY2K NCTCOG Work Program October 1, 1999 to September 30, 2000 Regional Strategy for Managing Storm Water in North Central Texas Under Interlocal Agreements for a Regional Storm Water Management Program, the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) is working with local governments and others to develop an expanded regional strategy to address storm water quality issues affecting the waterways of North Central Texas. The existing storm water program activities with the Metroplex's seven largest cities and two Texas Department of Transportation Districts has been expanded to cover the remaining urbanized area. NCTCOG will provide assistance in developing cooperative management programs that will address local water quality issues and lead to water quality improvements. The key work program activities to be undertaken through NCTCOG under these Interlocal Agreements during FY2K (beginning October 1, 1999) are outlined below. FY2K Storm Water Management Program Assistance The NPDES Phase I storm water permits and the proposed Phase II storm water program require that permit holders implement a number of management programs to reduce the impact of urban runoff on water quality. The State has launched a TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) Program to address water bodies that are not meeting State water quality standards. The TMDL Program will require participation by local governments. The State is also developing programs to protect water supply sources from pollutant impacts. As a regional planning agency, NCTCOG seeks to facilitate cooperative regional programs while assisting individual permit holders to meet specific permit requirements. As part of this work scope, NCTCOG will not only provide services that enable participants to satisfy future and present permit requirements in a cost - effective and coordinated way, but also to set an appropriate course for a comprehensive, coordinated Regional Storm Water Management Program. While the various State and Federal programs have distinct differences in their requirements and approaches, they all seek a common goal to achieve improved water quality. NCTCOG will build upon these common elements and construct a program that is based on common approaches, cooperative efforts and collective concerns. The work program will address regionwide issues through the following: • Strategy Implementation • Knowledge and Information Transfer • Development Enhancement NCTCOG will craft a separately funded component to address NPDES Phase I permit requirements for: • Cooperative Monitoring Implementation of the Regional Storm Water Management Program will involve a multi -year effort. NCTCOG anticipates that there will be multi -year regional activities within NCTCOG work scope proposals that are considered on a fiscal year basis. Staff will annually review multi -year milestones, schedules and regional opportunities for participants, and prepare information and implementation options to help meet permit requirements and milestones in subsequent years. NCTCOG FY2K Work Program - Regional Strategy for Managing Storm Water Approved by the Regional Storm Water Management Coordinating Council, June 17, 1999 Strategy Implementation With the development of a regional strategy document in FY99, the regional program can continue to move forward and accomplish the goals set forth therein. The regional strategy's primary focus is the identification of cooperative elements that serves multiple parties and satisfies regulatory requirements. Although general categories were identified as fruitful for cooperative ventures, the details of these arrangements are yet to be worked out. Using a. watershed approach, the program seeks to address cooperative storm water management issues while tying in to related water quality issues such as TMDL and source water protection. PROGRAM ELEMENTS: To assist the regional participants in their implementation of a regional strategy for storm water and water quality management, NCTCOG will provide the following assistance or services: 1. Provide administrative support. NCTCOG will coordinate the regional program through the development of interlocal agreements, work programs and cost -share arrangements. NCTCOG staff will handle all necessary contract tracking and billing over the course of the year. 2. Coordinate and facilitate meetings. Key to the development of a regional effort will be open discussions among the participants. NCTCOG will provide support for regular roundtable discussions and work sessions to discuss strategy implementation and other permit - related issues. Staff will arrange for meetings, compose and mail meeting notices, agendas and background information. Each quarter, staff will arrange for 1 watershed roundtable meeting in each of the 4 watersheds and 1 meeting of the Regional Storm Water Management Coordinating Council (RSWMCC). 3. Host regional special topic forums. NCTCOG will facilitate up to 4 discussion forums that provide an opportunity to probe collectively into topics of interest, hear about programs in companion cities and share experiences. Potential topics to be addressed can include Phase II regulations, illicit connections, regional public education opportunities, regional monitoring, funding or any others identified by the Regional Storm Water Management Coordination Council. 4. Assess needs and regional opportunities. An element essential to the success of the regional strategy is identification of opportunities for regional cooperation. Some entities have existing programs that will fulfill permit requirements, while others may need to develop or refine programs. NCTCOG will continue to assist the committee in identifying opportunities for regional cooperation. Where interest is expressed, NCTCOG will explore options for cooperative purchasing of promotional items, public educational items, storm drain signage, etc. 5. Develop a regional binder of the storm water management plan. After needs and opportunities have been identified, NCTCOG will help to build consensus among the participants to arrive at a mutually agreeable endpoint. Any long -range plans will be incorporated into the Regional Binder and will be supplemented in subsequent years with additional plans. This regional storm water management plan will serve to guide work programs in the years ahead and will be made available to the State at the time of participant permit submittal. 6. Promote the adoption of the regional storm water management strategy. Following the adoption of the regional strategy document by NCTCOG's Executive Board, staff will pursue the adoption of the document by each participant council. This will help ratify the program and encourage active involvement by all participants. NCTCOG FY2K Work Program - Regional Strategy for Managing Storm Water Approved by the Regional Storm Water Management Coordinating Council, June 17, 1999 7. Develop comprehensive watershed information using GIS. NCTCOG staff will explore the use of the Regional Geographic Information System (GIS) to develop comprehensive watershed information that would combine related issues and regulatory requirements such as TMDL, source water protection, source identification, land use impacts, population growth, etc. Maps would be developed for selected watersheds on selected topics to evaluate the usability of the technology. 8. Other activities as identified. NCTCOG staff will be open and available to address other activities that will assist in the formulation and implementation of the expanded regional strategy. Key Deliverables: 1. Work program, Interlocal agreements, billing 2. 16 watershed roundtable meetings (1 meeting per quarter per watershed) 3. 4 meetings of the Regional Storm Water Management Coordinating Council. 4. Up to 4 discussion forums 5. Supplements to the regional binder 6. Opportunities for regional cooperation 7. Seek adoption of the regional strategy by all participant councils 8. Selected GIS maps NCTCOG FY2K Work Program - Regional Strategy for Managing Storm Water Approved by the Regional Storm Water Management Coordinating Council, June 17, 1999 Knowledge and Information Transfer The sharing of knowledge and information among program participants and their citizenry has been key to the success of the regional storm water program. Participants have benefited from learning about the experiences and techniques being used by other local governments in the region and nationwide to address storm water management issues and implement programs. Local governments also benefit from keeping up -to -date on recent changes, interpretations, and implementation measures of the storm water permits and regulations. This will be particularly true once the new Phase II rules are issued in final form. Participants can also profit from an enhanced understanding of integrated watershed and water quality issues, and the interrelationships to other watershed oriented regulatory programs (e.g. TMDL, Clean Rivers, Source Water Protection). To help coordinate the multiple sources of information on storm water management, NCTCOG will serve as a central point of contact for this information and will provide avenues for dissemination of this information. In FY2K, NCTCOG will serve as the information liaison between State and Federal agencies, permitted entities and other participants. NCTCOG will track the regulatory changes that may occur as the Phase II storm water rules are issued and the State receives delegation of the NPDES program. NCTCOG will keep the regional participants up -to -date on these and other important matters. They will also seek to promote the public education aspects of the program and continue to promote the "Our Water, Take It Personally" theme. PROGRAM ELEMENTS: To facilitate regional coordination and compilation of storm water information, and to facilitate the transfer of storm water knowledge to participants, NCTCOG will provide the following assistance or services: 1. Serve as an information clearinghouse and resource center. NCTCOG staff will solicit and compile information on regional and nationwide experiences in the area of storm water management. They will keep track of storm water regulatory changes via the Internet, news articles and personal contacts and will compile general storm water reference documents. This information will be used lo address inquiries from participants and for knowledge dissemination. 2. Perform liaison functions. Upon direction from the RSWMCC, NCTCOG staff will serve as representatives for the regional program to federal and state officials in matters regarding the regional strategy and will coordinate activities among the participants to promote the regional program. As the State begins to learn their role as storm water regulators, it is imperative that the staff keeps them informed of our regional activities. And, as we lay the groundwork for future programs, it will be important to garner the support of local officials as well as the public. Staff will be available to make presentations to city councils upon request. 3. Prepare storm water regulations summary. It is anticipated that USEPA will publish the final Phase II storm water regulations in October 1999. NCTCOG staff will review these regulations in detail, consider the existing Phase I regulations and other water quality requirements, and prepare a summary of essential elements that can be used with chief executive staff and elected officials to better understand the policy implications of the storm water regulations. 4. Develop a storm water management and regional strategy video. Gaining understanding and buy -in from local officials is key to obtaining adequate local support for funding. Participant understanding of the regulations is also critical in crafting an appropriate, but cost - effective management program. NCTCOG staff will complete the development of the training video that was postponed due to the delay in Phase II rule issuance. The video can be used to review regional program initiatives and to educate local councils. Each cost -share participant will receive two copies of the video to use for in -house training. The video will be developed under the direction of the Coordinating Council. NCTCOG FY2K Work Program - Regional Strategy for Managing Storm Water Approved by the Regional Storm Water Management Coordinating Council, June 17, 1999 5. Prepare newsletter articles and information papers for various topics. NCTCOG staff will write 6 -12 newsletter articles in the Department of Environmental Resources monthly InsidER bulletin and /or NCTCOG's Your Region newsletter, 2 -4 articles in the Statewide Storm Water Quality Task Force newsletter, Thunderbolt, as well as information papers on various topics such as storm water management programs, practices, procedures, and specific permit commitments or requirements. 6. Develop a regional storm water web page. NCTCOG staff will create an improved storm water web page on the NCTCOG web site early in the first quarter and will devote a significant effort toward the expansion and improvement of this site during the remainder of the fiscal year. The page will document the progress of the regional program, provide ready access to information and materials compiled and prepared by the staff, and maintain program meeting and schedule information. Links to outside sources as well as GIS information will be provided. 7. Make public information materials readily available. NCTCOG staff will continue on -going efforts to make existing public information materials readily available for local governments to use as examples. Staff will continue to compile available resources from sources both local and external and will convert as many of these as possible to a digital format to post on the web site. 8. Give presentations of the regional program at local, state and national conferences. Many entities outside of our region and state are keenly interested in our cutting edge approaches to regional storm water management. NCTCOG staff will prepare and present overviews of the regional program at local, state and national conferences (e.g. TPWA, WEAT, WEF, AWWA, etc.). Staff will report back to participants on information gained at the conferences attended. 9. Other activities as identified by the Regional Storm Water Management Coordinating Council. NCTCOG staff will address other activities in regards to knowledge dissemination as identified by the Regional Storm Water Management Coordinating Council. Key Deliverables: 1. Phase II storm water regulations summary and distribution 2. 2 copies of the regional strategy video per participant 3. 6 -12 InsidER and/or Your Region newsletter articles 4. 2 -4 articles in Thunderbolt, newsletter of the Statewide Storm Water Quality Task Force 5. Major development and enhancement of a regional storm water web page 6. Presentations to city councils upon request 7. Public information materials made available via the web 8. Staff reports on storm water related conferences attended NCTCOG FY2K Work Program - Regional Strategy for Managing Storm Water Approved by the Regional Storm Water Management Coordinating Council, June 17, 1999 Development Enhancement One of the most important aspects of a storm water management program is the minimization of the water quality impacts associated with development activities. This includes the reduction of pollutants associated with the construction process (sediment, trash, paint, etc.) as well as the control of pollutants generated once construction is complete and the developed property is placed into service (oil, grease, fertilizer, pesticides, etc.). This program component addresses the impacts of development on water quality, from the planning process to construction to the operation of the fully developed property. The Storm Water Quality Best Management Practices for Construction Activities Manual, developed in 1993, forms the cornerstone of this regional effort regarding the construction phase of development. Design engineers and contractors throughout the region regularly use this "Construction BMP Manual" to help them comply with EPA's storm water pollution prevention plan requirements. However, guidance for post- construction Best Management Practices for engineers and developers is somewhat lacking. The FY2K work program will be geared towards correcting some of the deficiencies in water quality guidance in the other phases of the development process. Material from the Texas Public Works Association's web document, the Texas Nonpoint SourceBOOK will be incorporated in this effort, along with other sources of information. The SourceBOOK addresses this topic as well as storm water management in general. NCTCOG staff and many of our local government staff had a large role in its development. PROGRAM ELEMENTS: The goal is to minimize the pollutants in storm water runoff from land development both during and after construction is completed. To accomplish this, NCTCOG will provide the following assistance or services: 1. Form a Development Task Force. Provide staff support to the Development Task Force that was formed in June of 1999. Comprised of representatives from participating entities and the private sector, the Task Force was formed to guide the program's development activities. The Task Force will meet as needed and reports directly to the Regional Storm Water Management Coordinating Council. 2. Develop a document of Storm Water Management Policies and Strategies for Planning/Development Procedures. With the assistance of the Task Force, COG will produce a document that will provide guidance and recommendations to entities in making modifications to their planning and development process to incorporate storm water quality aspects. This document will be similar in format and style to the "Tree Policy' document previously developed by NCTCOG, which has three alternative strategies for implementation depending on the philosophy of the city. An important source of information for this document will be the Survey of Ordinance /Regulations that COG produced a year and a half ago. NCTCOG will ensure that the information in the survey is current via phone interviews, mail surveys and /or site visits. This compiled survey provided insight on ordinances and regulations that Phase I cities had that impacted storm water quality and offered suggestions on potential modifications. COG still intends to conduct a similar survey with the Phase II communities at a later date. Staff will also obtain city staff input with regard to their policies and the various strategies proposed in the document. 3. Compile a Reference Source of BMP Information. With the assistance of the Task Force, NCTCOG will produce a compilation of post- construction BMPs. The post- construction BMPs would come from existing sources such as the Residential /Commercial BMP Manual and the Texas Nonpoint SourceBOOK and would include BMPs for pollution prevention, source control and treatment control. After the BMPs and associated guidance has been determined, this compilation could take the form of a new and separate BMP manual, an enhanced version of NCTCOG FY2K Work Program - Regional Strategy for Managing Storrs Water Approved by the Regional Storm Water Management Coordinating Council, June 17, 1999 the existing Construction BMP Manual or a digital document on either a CD or the web. Again, the Task Force will assist NCTCOG in evaluating the options and selecting the best alternative to recommend to the Coordinating Council. 4. Seek technical revisions to the Construction BMP Manual. NCTCOG staff will continue a nationwide research effort to identify new BMPs and obtain any recent studies that have evaluated the effectiveness of BMPs. Staff will explore options for Construction BMP manual modifications with the assistance of the Development Task Force. Any approved modifications will be published in an amendment packet or a new manual edition. NCTCOG staff will continue efforts to promote the manual for purchase by cities and the construction industry. 5. Support and promote the Construction Inspector Training Program. NCTCOG staff will coordinate with TEEX on offering and marketing the training courses and track participation in the courses. A summary report on FY2K training will be furnished to all program participants in September 2000. NCTCOG staff will also coordinate further interaction between TEEX or other groups and the Task Force to identify and prioritize other groups, and explore customization of the curriculum for them. 6. Prepare Targeted Informational Brochure(s) /Articles. COG will develop one or more informational brochure(s) on the importance of storm water quality - friendly development practices that will be targeted at developers and elected officials. The brochure(s) will be posted on COG's web site in a PDF format for easy printing and reproduction by interested parties. COG will also exchange newsletter articles with the Home Builders Association and other groups in order to further awareness of these issues. 7. Identify water quality elements to potentially add to drainage criteria manuals. In FY2K staff will collect available drainage criteria manuals from various entities in North Central Texas and other areas of the country and continue fashioning a strategy to incorporate water quality aspects as needed into one or more manuals for North Central Texas in subsequent years. 8. Other activities as identified in the formulation of the expanded regional strategy. NCTCOG staff will address other activities in regards to the enhancement of the development process as identified by the participants in the formulation of the expanded regional strategy. Key Deliverables: 1. As needed meetings of the Development Task Force 2. Storm Water Management Policies: Strategies for Planning /Development Procedures Document 3. Compilation of post - development BMPs 4. FY2K training summary report 5. Targeted Informational Brochure(s) /Articles NCTCOG FY2K Work Program - Regional Strategy for Managing Storm Water Approved by the Regional Storm Water Management Coordinating Council, June 17, 1999 Cooperative Monitoring The NPDES Phase I storm water permits include requirements for monitoring storm water during wet weather events and NCTCOG has assisted local entities in designing a cooperative regional monitoring program. EPA Region 6 has incorporated the regional concept for storm water monitoring into the regional NPDES MS4 Phase I permits and fact sheets, thereby establishing the commitment of permittees to meet individual permit requirements through a larger cooperative program. A significant amount of sampling is programmed for the third year of the permits, with subsequent inclusion of data and resulting analyses with each permit holder's Annual Report in the early spring of the fourth permit year. This monitoring effort will be cost - shared by the NPDES Phase I participants exclusively, with no monetary contributions from the other participants. As the regional strategy is developed, participants may consider opportunities for expanding the regional monitoring program to assess receiving water quality and the advantages that such action may afford with regard to setting wet - weather criteria and focusing TMDL program efforts. PROGRAM ELEMENTS: NCTCOG staff will continue to provide assistance in implementing the cooperative monitoring program through the following work program activities and services: Provide administrative support for USGS and private analytical laboratory contract with Phase I participants. NCTCOG will administer the USGS work program, track USGS contract work, track contract work of the private analytical lab (Armstrong Analytical Laboratories Inc.) conducting storm sample analysis and coordinate billings from both USGS and Armstrong. NCTCOG will furnish each participant with a fully documented billing from USGS and Armstrong, outlining services provided and the required payment schedule and deadlines. NCTCOG will provide cost -share participants with the necessary contractual instruments to support a Joint Funding Agreement (JFA) between NCTCOG and the U.S. Geological Survey for permit term monitoring through the end of NCTCOG FY2K. NCTCOG will also facilitate negotiations between USGS and participating entities on permit term monitoring, addressing monitoring program elements such as schedules, monitoring sites, sampling protocols, and other elements of the USGS monitoring work scope. 2. Compile, analyze and prepare data reports. NCTCOG staff will provide a draft Annual Regional Monitoring Report to participants, summarizing data from September 1998 through August 1999. NCTCOG will provide a final version of the Annual Regional Monitoring Report and Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) forms ready for signature to each participant in the second quarter of FY2K to meet submittal deadline of March 1, 2000. Staff will also keep participants aware of data collections made by USGS and the availability of analytical results. 3. Provide additional data analysis and summaries. In addition to the basic data and information necessary for permit compliance, NCTCOG staff will, with direction from a Regional Monitoring Control Group, undertake other analyses of the storm water data for purposes of comparison, and present the information to regional participants. Special attention will be directed toward the statistical evaluation of trends, and comparisons between application phase and permit term monitoring. Data comparisons with other Phase I permit entities in Region 6 could also be examined. NCTCOG FY2K Work Program - Regional Strategy for Managing Storm Water Approved by the Regional Storm Water Management Coordinating Council, June 17, 1999 Key Deliverables: 1. Monitoring contracts and billing regarding USGS services 2. Monitoring contracts and billing regarding Armstrong Labs services 3. Preparation of the Annual Regional Monitoring Report 4. Discharge Monitoring Reports to each permittee 5. Up to 8 meetings of the Regional Monitoring Control Group 6. Additional analyses of the data upon request NCTCOG FY2K Work Program - Regional Strategy for Managing Storm Water Approved by the Regional Storm Water Management Coordinating Council, June 17, 1999