Greetings!   

Please Save the Dates  

for theThree-Part Workshop:   

A New Approach to Financing Stormwater Management-Stormwater Utility Districts 

Description: Increasingly, Rhode Island's cities and towns are grappling with the impacts of uncontrolled stormwater runoff. Stormwater can cause street flooding, beach closures, shellfishing bans, and many other problems. Several municipalities have already made significant investments in new or upgraded drainage infrastructure to mitigate these stormwater problems and others are making plans to do so. Capital expenditures aside, many of Rhode Island's municipalities are challenged to fully fund even the programmatic and operational expenses of complying with their RIPDES Phase II Stormwater Permits. This workshop series will explore practical methods some municipalities are using to fund stormwater management programs, including the use of stormwater utilities as a means of establishing a dedicated, stable and predictable funding source.

This workshop series is designed for public works directors, town administrators, planners, and other municipal officials responsible for municipal budgets, planning, stormwater management, and transportation systems.

Advisory to communities participating in the Phase II Stormwater Education and Outreach Program: Attendance at the first two workshops is mandatory for the appropriate MS4 staff with primary responsibility for design, implementation, or long term operation and maintenance of stormwater management practices in their community. MS4's are strongly encouraged to participate in the third workshop of the series.  

Early registration for MS4's coming soon! Remaining seats will be made available to stormwater professionals in the order they are received.

Workshop 1: Managing Stormwater in Tough Budget Times  

This workshop will address current challenges faced by municipalities, discuss the future direction of municipal stormwater management, and introduce stormwater utility districts as a funding mechanism. Speakers will include Andrew Reese, AMEC Earth and Environmental, who will speak about costs, drivers, and benefits of stormwater utilities, followed by a panel of local municipal officials discussing the costs of managing stormwater in their towns, and funding options explored.  

Date: October 25, 2011

Location: Coastal Institute, Narragansett Bay Campus, Narragansett, RI  

Time: 3-5 PM, registration and refreshments begin  

at 2:30 PM  

Cost: Free, but registration is required

Workshop 2: Stormwater Utilities Districts- Success Stories From New England States   

Stormwater utility districts have been successfully implemented throughout New England. A panel of speakers with personal experience in establishing and managing stormwater utility districts in their communities will discuss the challenges and benefits associated with utility districts. 

Date: November 17, 2011

Location: TO BE ANNOUNCED

Time: 3-5 PM, registration and refreshments begin  

at 2:30 PM 

 

Cost: Free, but registration is required 

Workshop 3: Stormwater Utilities- Rhode Island Moves Forward  

The final workshop in this series will present findings on the feasibility of utility districts in Westerly and Middletown based on studies now underway in those communities. This workshop will also include a discussion of State law and policy enabling municipalities to implement utility districts in Rhode Island.

Workshop 3 is planned as a concurrent workshop at the RI League of Cities and Towns Annual Convention in January 2012.  Details to follow.  

This workshop series is sponsored by: