Stormwater Master Plan

At a glance

What: Overview of the city's 2023 Stormwater Master Plan, presented by Zach Stevie (utility stormwater engineer, name spelling approximate from captions). It ranks 46 of 174 sub-basins by risk and lists planning-level projects for each.
Where it stands: Presentation only; no vote. The plan is a planning tool, not final design, and the order of projects can change.
Next: Fourth and California project returns to committee for authority to proceed; staff to get a larger, readable map for the whole council.

The city was split into 174 sub-basins; the 46 highest-risk were modeled against a 100-year storm (water no more than 6 inches over the crown of the road).
Ranking uses business risk exposure: probability of failure times consequence (nuisance flooding, estimated annual property loss, people affected, community facilities such as hospitals and schools, and pipe condition).
Each of the 46 basins got planning-level capital projects (pipe upgrades, channel work, some detention) with rough cost estimates; the plan cannot be bid as written.

Highest-scoring project in the plan; a larger pipe is proposed (the plan shows 9 by 7 feet, staff think a somewhat smaller pipe may work). Benefit is limited when Shunganunga Creek is high and water backs up.
Near a dual-language magnet school. Schedule given: study done this year, design most of 2027, bid toward the end of 2027, construction about spring 2028. Public meetings planned around 60 percent design and before construction; the school will be invited.
Councilmember Ortiz (her district) asked about bus loading and parking near the school; staff will check.

Many top-10 projects come from an earlier Shunganunga study after the 2007 flood. Staff are starting a study with the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps says within 3 years), so those projects may shift. They are not tabled, just later than Fourth and California.
Deputy Mayor Hoferer asked about downstream effects; staff said nothing may induce damage up or downstream.

Prairie Road (2200 block, east of Fairlawn, District 8) is the main stormwater project planned for next year; it was in progress before the plan was published.
Butcher Creek: staff said flooding there this year and new state flood mapping show larger impacts than the 2023 plan reflected. The city manager said the plan is a living document and will feed an infrastructure management plan; a preliminary Butcher Creek report was shared at the prior meeting.
Huntoon Street (captions: 'Hunt Tune') ranks high; the Lakeside detention basin would make it most effective even though that basin is not on the top-10 list.
Deputy Mayor Hoferer and Councilmember Ortiz asked for a bigger, readable map for all councilmembers. Councilmember Ortiz raised flooding near 6th and a street she thought might be Leland; staff will look.

About 23 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-20 - Public Infrastructure Committee	23

2026-10-20 - Public Infrastructure Committee - Overview presented; questions on Fourth and California, Shunganunga Creek coordination with the Corps, Butcher Creek, and a readable map.