What: the city's stormwater permit program, including the new adopt-a-storm-drain program and grant-funded wetland, shoreline and oyster reef projects.
Where it stands: The stormwater staff briefed the committee on 2026-10-01; Northeast Creek has a permit application in review, and Sandy Run Branch, Scales Creek and Oyster Highway phase 4 are in various stages.
Next: Northeast Creek is hoped to go out to bid with construction starting in early 2027; FEMA grant requests for the Scales Creek extension are pending.
Details
Adopt-a-storm-drain is new this year; residents may adopt a drain in front of their home, and student art is being painted on drains at Riverwalk Park. Raffles of two painted rain barrels were planned for National Night Out.
Projects: Sandy Run Branch (wetland and stream restoration), Phillips Park (removing the last section of seawall and adding a fishing pier and living shoreline), Northeast Creek (about 2.5 acres of wetland restoration and living shoreline) and Scales Creek (flood-plain and embankment restoration, with FEMA BRIC and HMGP grant applications). Oyster Highway phase 4 received about $1 million more, bringing the total to 540 reefs at each of 12 sites.
Staff reported more than $20 million in grants gathered over the last two years and said the area is in the fourth year of a drought, with upriver salinity far above normal.
Three staff inspect 11 city stormwater control measures monthly and privately owned ones twice a year.
The stormwater division presented its adopt-a-stream, adopt-a-street and adopt-a-storm-drain programs and updates on grant-funded restoration projects. Members asked how the storm drain program works and who to contact.