FLOOD03407

• County: Statewide
• Community: State of Colorado
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Stormwater Management in the United States - A Study of Intsitutionl Problems, Solutions and Impacts
• Date: 9/1/1980
• Prepared By: Office of Water Research and Technology
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

I
I
1,1
I

I
I
"I
I
J
I
,I
I
I

'I
I
I
I
I
I
I
~I

individuals to be heard. Many helpful and useful ideas have come out of such
meetings. In one city interviewed, a "city calendar" is published each year to
inform citizens on community goals, needs, the previous year's accomplishments,
plans for the current year, and scheduled meetings.

Actually, there is very little hope for any city or county program unless it
is supported by the local property owners and voters. Well organized and timely
public information programs are vital. They should be planned and based upon
accurate data and statistics, and realistic estimates of costs and time schedules.
Most importantly, public information programs must be conducted honorably and
truthfully. The slightest deviation from this course can destroy good will and
support that may have taken years to develop.

Politics

Unfortunately, politicians often react and acquiesce to public opinion and
wishes, rather than assume roles of leadership--at times, contrary to the advice
of professional staffs. Under such circumstances, policies adopted and actions
taken may evolve from complaints of a few individuals or special interest groups
rather than upon demonstrated needs and long-term goals. Short sighted solutions
which are sometimes given political support may result in compounding a problem in
future years or pushing a problem farther upstream or downstream. Most elected
officials, being aware of the seriousness of stormwater problems, accept the
guidance of their professional staffs. The principal political intervention is
in zoning matters; however, political involvements in land use and land development
sometimes foster stormwater problems.

The priority of stormwater control has been advancing in recent years; and pro-
fessional staffs of most municipalities generally believe that proportionately
more funds will be appropriated for stormwater improvements in future years.
Elected officials are often reluctant to propose local legislation and referenda
that are unpopular with the public, even if the need is great. The potential im-
pacts of the recent public demands on politicians for reducing taxes and public
spending is a factor that cannot be evaluated at this time; however, it is apparent
that cuts in public expenditures for public services, including stormwater pro-
grams and facilities, will be made in some places by politicians at all levels of
governmen t .

The priorities established by state agencies for specific improvement projects
of local governments is critical when both state and federal funds are requested.
If such a project fails to fall within the state's "range of funding", the project
will not have a chance of receiving federal funding. Or, if key personnel of the
state government do not like the project plans, and refuse to "endorse" the project,
federal funds will not be forthcoming. Non-carryover of appropriated state or
federal funds for specific projects from one year to the next can kill projects
before they are completed. The presence of interested local government officials
at meetings of state and federal appropriation committees is important to move
appropriation bills forward. Legislators are extremely sensitive to local support,
and they need information that local officials can supply.

Maintaining a good political posture is one of the most important ingredients
in moving projects from the planning and design stages into the implementation
stage. This art is well developed in some urban areas such as Cook County, Illinois
where politicians of the City of Chicago and the Metropolitan Sanitary District
always seem to receive their full share of federal funds. On a smaller scale,

17