Policy Guidance
Municipal Ordinance Auditing
With support from the PA DEP Coastal Zone Management Program, PEC initiated a project in 2020 to conduct in-depth audits of municipal ordinances to identify codes and policies presenting the biggest barriers to Green Stormwater Infrastructure implementation. PEC staff utilized an audit tool developed by the University of Wisconsin Extension entitled: “Tackling Barriers to Green Infrastructure,” which included over 100 specific questions in 12 categories. The questionnaire was used to create a report card that was then shared with municipal staff.
GSI can offer communities many benefits, such as improved public health, reducing pollution entering local waterways, flood mitigation, and climate change resiliency. PEC worked closely with staff from four southeast Pennsylvania municipalities during the audit process and created individual reports with prioritized recommendations. Check out our resource section for sample reports from Abington Township in Montgomery County and Upper Darby Township in Delaware County.
Streamlined Municipal Ordinance Auditing Tool
Building on its initial audit work, PEC was recently awarded funding to create a streamlined version of the barriers to GSI audit tool. PEC identified the top 12 issues from the municipal audits conducted previously to allow municipalities to check how these specific issues are addressed in their codes.
PEC is in the process of finalizing materials to help municipal staff conduct these audits on their own and looking to pilot this streamlined approach with several municipalities. The goal is to create an efficient and accessible audit tool that can be used in many different municipalities, helping them increase opportunities for green stormwater infrastructure as they develop or redevelop.
Stormwater Fee Tracking
For over a decade, PEC has promoted the use of stormwater management program fees as one part of a financial strategy to implement, operate and maintain local government stormwater management programs.
PEC supported and advocated for changes to Pennsylvania’s Municipal Authorities Act to enable the creation of Stormwater Authorities in 2013 and in 2014. This act enables the collection of stormwater fees to perform stormwater planning, management, and implementation, providing a source of revenue to help meet rising costs for stormwater infrastructure and increasing regulatory requirements.
Stormwater fees are typically levied on landowners based on the potential for their property to generate runoff (e.g., based on the size of the property and the amount of development on the property). The municipalities use money collected by fees to fund stormwater management projects and programs that reduce runoff and associated non-point source pollutants.
In 2017, PEC developed a Stormwater Fee Guidebook to help local community leaders and residents understand the benefits of this funding strategy, how fees are determined and fee implementation steps. PEC staff updated the guide in 2021 and continues to monitor stormwater fee programs across the state. PEC has collected case studies and collaborated with state and national organizations to share this information at seminars and workshops aimed at municipal elected officials and municipal authorities considering this funding method.