1/15/1990 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Public Works Director Davis confirmed that staff has been considering more cooperation with the drainage districts rather than recommending that we take some action to abolish them. He informed the Board that some of the tough issues regarding the Lagoon relate to areas where direct discharge of stormwater is occurring with no treatment. This is happening in such places as The Moorings area, Vero Shores, and some other developments along the river. Many of those are privately maintained systems, and he was not sure how we would implement a storm water utility in the areas where the R/Ws are privately dedicated. Commissioner Scurlock asked if those systems don't have to have a permit to discharge, and Director Davis advised that is no current stormwater permit required for ones that were built prior to 1978. Fortunately, the unincorporated area has a minimal amount of those developments, but there are 4 or 5 privately maintained systems that need cleaning up. The rest are within the City of Vero Beach, and he believed they will have quite a job retrofitting. Attorney Vitunac did not believe these systems have a grand- fathered right to dump forever in the river. They may be grandfathered from the permitting, but that is not the type of right that can withstand a subsequent change in the law that requires them to go back and retrofit. In discussion it was noted that the costs involved in this might eventually force them to come to us for a public utility. Commissioner Bowman asked if they wouldn't be the nucleus of a surface water utility the same as we are taking over the package plants, and it was believed we probably will see this occur in the next decade. Director Davis noted that they are also addressing in our plan a way to assess and evaluate the water quality impacts from Agricultural lands, which means that somehow we need to monitor that and perhaps develop a permit to have a citrus grove. That opens up a whole new arena. 25 'ROOK