Council adopts stormwater improvement plan update as city prepares costly, decades‑long measures

City stormwater staff outlined an updated stormwater improvement plan to Harrisonburg City Council on May 26, describing prioritized best‑management practices (BMPs), cost and timeline estimates and new maintenance and partnership approaches to help meet Chesapeake Bay and local TMDL requirements.

Staff said the original plan dated to 2017 and the 2024 update identified a range of BMPs—stream restorations, wet ponds, bioretention cells and retrofits—mapped across the city and prioritized for implementation. The consultant’s initial modeling estimated that implementing the full set of recommended actions to reach local TMDL goals could take centuries; staff said they revised that approach to a rolling five‑year cycle with 15‑year interim targets so the city can set practical near‑term milestones.

The presentation also raised maintenance concerns: inspections identified many older post‑construction BMPs—particularly on school properties—needing moderate or critical repairs. Staff proposed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) under which Public Works would perform non‑routine maintenance and larger repairs for school-owned BMPs, with financial contribution from Harrisonburg City Public Schools and use of city equipment and contractors. "Public Works would be able to do these non routine maintenance items ... and the city schools would contribute financially to support the city maintaining the stormwater infrastructure within their property," staff said.

Council and residents asked how homeowners can help. Staff noted the stormwater utility fee credit program for property-level mitigations—rain barrels, redirecting downspouts to pervious areas, planting trees—and said rain‑barrel clinics and other incentives are available through partnerships with local conservation groups.

Council moved to approve the stormwater improvement plan update as presented and the roll call vote recorded the motion as passed. Staff noted the plan will be used to prioritize capital projects, seek grant funding, integrate BMP projects into future budgets and pursue the MOU with the school division to address critical maintenance needs.