FLOOD07889

• County: Mesa
• Community: Palisade, Grand Junction, Fruita, Mesa County
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Title: Grand Valley Stormwater Unification Feasibility Prjoect
• Date: 6/27/2003
• Prepared For: Palisade, Grand Junction, Fruita, Mesa County
• Prepared By: Grand Junction Drainage District, CWCB
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Project

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

SECTlONTHREE

Steering Committee Process

3.1 INTRODUCTION

Recognizing a need for greater public input on future stormwater management decisions, the
stormwater managers for the five entities designed a review process to involve a set of
community stakeholders sitting as a Steering Committee through Phase A of the unification
study. The Steering Committee was tasked with participation in seven meetings, held monthly
from December 2002 through June 2003.

Project information was developed jointly by the staff of the five entities and the consultant, and
packaged and presented to the Steering Committee in the form of Technical Memoranda and
presentations. Steering Committee members were asked to review the project information and
evaluate the system short-falls for valley-wide stormwater drainage and flood management.
Steering Committee participants were asked to provide "system-overview guidance" regarding
the needs that might dictate a unified stormwater and flood management system for the Grand
Valley region. Individuals were counseled that their input would be advisory in nature and
could be reshaped in the resulting political process once the unification study was completed.

The purpose of the Steering Committee review step was to gain an understanding of both the
complexity of the issues and a sense of the community's willingness to support a change in the
stormwater drainage and flood management processes. Managers from the five entities were
interested in whether or not a group of affected citizens and community leaders felt a unified
system would be beneficial and also the community's willingness to pay for added services.

3.2 COMPOSITION OF COMMITTEE

The Steering Committee was created to represent a wide spectrum of citizens in the Grand
Valley who have an interest in stormwater management. The Steering Committee consisted of
14 members, 9 of which were jointly selected by the five entities, with I additional member
selected by each of the individual sponsors. The committee members included:

. Business owners,

. Farmers who use water from irrigation companies,

. Representatives from the real estate and building industries,

. Former local politicians, and

. Other citizens.

The Steering Committee members included several property owners who have incurred flood
damages. Managers and staff from the five entities, as well as the consultant team, supported the
Steering Committee.

3.3 TECHNICAL MEMORANDUMS

To document the investigation and analysis of storm water management in the valley and the
decision-making process of the Steering Committee, the consultants have written four Technical
Memorandums (in Appendix B):

. ManageriaVOperational Aspects, Problems, Needs, and Initial Alternatives,

URS

T:\?AOJECTS\22236022_GRAND_VAllE'f\SUB_OO\6.Q_PROJ_DElI\I\~\NAl AEPOAT\FINAl REPT REV 5.DOC\24-JUl-O::1\\ 3-1