Agenda - 05-21-2007-c5 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ORANGE COUNTY PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: :May 21, 2007 Action Agenda Item No. C.5 SUBJECT: Amendments to the Orange County Stormwater Ordinance for Lands within the Neuse River Basin DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) Yes Erosion Control Division ATTACHMENT(S): 1. Required Amendments to Orange County Stormwater Ordinance INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Benedict 245-2592 Ren Ivins 245-2586 Terry Hackett 245-2588 PURPOSE: To receive public comment on required amendments to the Orange County Stormwater Ordinance~for Lands within the Neuse River Basin to reflect changes in the Nitrogen Reduction Offset payment calculation. BACKGROUND: To protect water quality at the local level and provide a higher level of service to citizens and clients, Orange County adopted the State's model stormwater ordinance in March 2001. The title of the ordinance as adopted is, "Stormwater Ordinance for Lands within the Neuse River Basin." The Neuse basin covers most of northern Orange County including the Town Hillsborough. The Neuse Basin does not include the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area which lies in the Cape Fear River Basin. Control of nitrogen runoff, or export, from development projects is a key feature of the program. As an option, developers can pay an in-lieu fee to the North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program (NCEEP) to offset nitrogen runoff. In March 2006, The NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources Division of Water Quality (NCDQWQ) changed the Nitrogen Offset Payment Fee calculation method for in-lieu payments to the NCEEP to reflect increased costs. The County. subsequently amended the Stormwater Ordinance for Lands within the Neuse River Basin to reflect this change. The new calculation method resulted in a significant increase in fees paid by developers to NCEEP. In response the development community lobbied the NC General Assembly to review the~fee increase. Subsequently the General Assembly passed a session law in August 2006 that rescinded the increased fee. The law required NCDWQ to revert to the previous fee _ 1: :: ' ~G1ii~:~C~1•.(1;:1:` f'~dttfip Pl (~It C!l~it ."i:;,F'. ~,Efl`~i: ~?f:: !'11j;"'~.~i'15!`.Il ;; ~`If ~`:7is~.....il~'tfvr:i:Pi~C°f.~iil._~i11'~I IlIC~.:.as"..~ri1E: `i its. til At L..,.. ~ 0. ... i:'l: r~: E .. .t.