For the purposes of further understanding Aurora's Stormwater Program, an industry comparison was completed to leverage the processes, procedures, and structures of other successful stormwater organizations in a manner that would benefit the City of Aurora's Program. An abbreviated summary of the results is provided on this page, including answers from the City of Aurora. For a full summary of the results, please review the final document here.
STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE MASTER PLAN
STORMWATER GOAL & MISSION STATEMENTS
50% of respondents have created city-wide stormwater infrastructure master plans for their Cities.
GREEN/SUSTAINABLE ASSESSMENT
The most common goal and mission statements included:
- Reduce damages & losses resulting from stormwater incidents
- Protect life, public health, safety, and property
- Control flooding and future increases
- Enhance and preserve quality of stormwater
- Preserve and enhance the environment
- Control sediment and erosion
- Pro-actively plan for and manage stormwater flows, including comprehensive basin planning
- Promote equitable/cost-efficient stormwater management
- Serve and partner with the community
STORMWATER PROGRAM ORGANIZATION
Of respondents indicated that their stormwater program was housed within another program.
The most important factors to successfully managing stormwater within another (or multiple) departments include:
- Clear roles and responsibilities
- Transparent and consistent communication
- Cooperation and coordination, including regular meetings between groups
GENERAL COMMENTS REGARDING STRUCTURE
MANAGEMENT
- It is important that management staff understand how stormwater fits in with other services.
- Centralized management can encourage a wide diversity of knowledge and experience but can also result in difficult and imprecise decision-making.
- Legislature that requires separation of stormwater utility funds from other funds is an efficient means of separating stormwater from potable and wastewater, which, in turn, helps separate stormwater from the public perspective.
- Housing the stormwater program in Public Works can mean that the stormwater manager reports to multiple parties (such as Public Works and City Management).
- Separating the stormwater program into specialties (such as development, water quality, capital projects, complaints/petitions, and business services ensures that employees are specialized in their area of expertise, which also encourages more efficient delivery.
PROGRAM ELEMENTS
