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Minutes for the Stormwater Management Board Meeting on August 19, 2020
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STORMWATER MANAGEMENT BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Date:
August 19, 2020
Location:
Municipal Center
First Floor Conference Room
300 South Church
Jonesboro, AR 72401
Time:
8:30 a.m.
Opening:
In Attendance marked in bold
Members:
Susan Merideth
Jeremy Bevill
L.J. Bryant
Charles Coleman
Jerry Farris
Woody Freeman
Jeannie Gillis, Co-Chair
Chris Kidd
Brett Provost
Matt Taylor
Rick Wyatt, Chairman
Officials & Staff:
Harold Perrin - Mayor
Derrel Smith - Director of Planning & Zoning
Craig Light - Chief City Engineer
Roger Gibson - Stormwater Manager
Marvin Day, Craighead County Judge
Eugene Neff - Road Superintendent
Bobby Clark - ASU
Tracey Cooper - Secretary
I. CALL TO ORDER
Wyatt called the meeting to order at 8:33 a.m.
II. ROLL CALL
III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
*Minutes for the July 15, 2020, Stormwater Management Board Meeting
Motion to approve the minutes was made by Bryant and seconded by Kidd. The minutes were unanimously approved.
IV. NEW BUSINESS
Wyatt stated that he talked to Brad Smithee with ArDOT regarding the Eastern Bypass. The Public Comment period has ended and property acquisition is set to start in September/October 2020. How will drainage be affected by this project? Light stated ArDOT would handle the water drained to the ditches. When they cross major waterways, they will have to abide by FEMA rules.
V. OLD BUSINESS
Light stated at the last meeting there was a discussion about the issue with plumbers and some utility companies penetrating the City’s stormwater system. There is no code saying this cannot be done. The City needs some language that allows the City to talk to owners, plumbers, etc. regarding this. The City currently has no recourse. Light spoke with the City Attorney and Derrel Smith, there is a question if the City has the authority to regulate inside the utility easements, and if it can be regulated the City does not have the staff to do it. The City has the right to regulated what happens in the ROW. The concern is the 10 ft. utility easement. Light and Smith discussed adjusting the ROW width. The City has no permitting process for utilities. Wyatt ask if utility companies operated under any supervision from the City. Light answered no. Light stated the City is looking at ROW permits. Additional personnel would be required to review and issue ROW permits. A utility company is in the ROW every day. We have looked at an annual fee. The utility companies have plans for what they are doing but they do not share those with the City because there is no process. Kidd ask if the City owns the land, the ROW is on, or is there a blanket easement. Seems like if the City owns the land they should have control over what goes on. With Public ROW, the City does not own the land. The land is donated and the City is the custodians of the ROW. State law give the City the authority to regulate and establish a permitting process for the public ROW.
Light stated that he would bring some language back to the Board for review at the next meeting.
Light stated that a situation came up recently regarding lot splits. He stated he wanted to bring this up to the Board to make sure everyone is on the same page and the interpretation is the same. Light read Sec. 112-7. A lot-split usually does not fall under our subdivision ordinance but it is a subdivision of land. You are creating two lots, which will have a house or duplex on each lot. If you split a lot, you must adhere to subdivision regulations, which includes enclosing front and side lot line issues. Light stated he just wanted to make sure that the Board interprets this section to say that if a lot is split it must meet code requirements If you split a lot, you are developing two lots and at that time you should enclose ditches, install drainage systems for these two lots required by the ordinance and make them two buildable lots and meet all code requirements. Light stated that is how he is interpreting this and wanted to make sure the Board interprets it the same way. It is intended that if a lot-split is done it must meet all requirements of the code section. If you develop ten lots or two lots, you must bring it into current standards. Bryant questioned if a lot-split is done, does the person doing it have to hire an engineer to do a plan. Light stated that once they start splitting a lot, they become a developer. If the lot is split and not brought up to current standards, a person comes into get a building permit and the City ends up with an unimproved lot. Bryant ask if detention would have to be done with a lot-split. Light stated that someone cannot cause or increased downstream flooding. All open ditches would have to be enclosed. Kidd ask if curb would have to be installed. Light said it would be on a case-by-case basis depending on where the low section is. Bryant questioned if this fixes the duplex problem discussed at the last meeting. Light stated somewhat. Light again told the Board that he just wanted to get their interpretation in case any variances are brought to the Board for consideration.
VI. OTHER COMMUNICATIONS
VII. PUBLIC COMMENTS
VIII. ADJOURNMENT
Wyatt adjourned the meeting at 9:42 a.m.