Ten Stormwater Take-aways from the City of Hoover Alabama

1. Hoover can protect the city from flooding with construction projects. Alabama Code allows cities of 60,000 or greater population to design and construct stormwater sewers and systems as long as the cost is spread against every property that benefits and that there is widespread benefit. Further, cities can construct dikes, levees etc. to protect against flooding and have easements where watercourses travel through subdivisions.

2. Hoover Code (Chapter 12) describes in detail how the city is to approve plats for development, inspect and approve drainage and stormwater control. The final inspection approval leads to a recommendation to the city council to accept public improvements (Articles V & VI). The process is relatively clear.

3. The Future of Hoover (2019) notes that lakes (such as Paradise Lake and Indian Valley Lake) can contribute to stormwater management but will have to be dredged. Further, that stormwater infrastructure must direct water to waterways to avoid flooding.

4. MS4 (2021) acknowledges the city’s role in regular maintenance of the stormwater infrastructure by stating that the city staff are involved daily in managing the BMPs and that dedicated crews are checking and if necessary, cleaning storm drains before and after storm events.

5. The Future of Hoover (2019) predicts possible problems in providing exceptional services on infrastructure as the city grows, challenges to financing ADEM requirements (MS4 2021) and raised stormwater fees to address such issues (city council resolution 2018).

6. Construction site run-off is addressed in the MS4 (2021), Future Hoover (2019) and ADEM citations of developments in Hoover (US Steel and the Preserve) in 2021-2 and earlier. Run-off is addressed via enforcement of BMPs (Best Management Practices), inspections and ordinances.

7. Post-construction site run-off has been a required aspect of plans (SWMP), permits (NPDES) and reporting (MS4) for decades. Hoover has categorized post-construction run-off as “in development” for decades and for developments approved after 2020 will address this issue. Future Hoover (2019) identified this as an important aspect of reducing pollution by “ensuring that stormwater facilities are maintained and adequately operating according to their intended purpose” (page 110). Chapter 12 Article IX describes the responsibility of property owners, HOA’s and the city in designing and maintaining detention ponds.

8. The city understands that the public is concerned about the environment (MS4 2021), has an objective to reduce the discharge of pollutants from post-construction run-off (MS4 2021) and recognizes the role of flooding in jeopardizing endangered species (Future Hoover 2019). In addition, the concept of open spaces (Future Hoover), trees (Future Hoover, Appendix I Zoning Hoover Code) and landscape (Future Hoover, Appendix I Zoning Hoover Code) are listed as important attributes of the city and as having important benefits to the environment.

9. Two of the most endangered rivers in the United States are the Coosa and Mobile Rivers. The Coosa watershed touches the far northeast section of Hoover; further south the Coosa joins the Alabama River. The Cahaba River wanders through Hoover heading south where it ends at a junction with the Alabama River. The Alabama River becomes the Mobile River. Hoover acknowledges contributing to pollution via stormwater and sewage spills. Hoover has some responsibility for the endangered status of these two rivers.

10. The city, founded in 1967, has been aware of stormwater and flooding since at least 2014 when problems seemed to increase along with the explosion of development. While the city has repaired some stormwater infrastructure (resolutions in 2021, 2017) including on private property, funded consultants to evaluate stormwater-related activities (the MS4, SWMP, Schoel Green Valley Drainage Study, Future Hoover, the “Panda Express engineering”), reported to the state success in stormwater management (MS4 2021) and included stormwater in the comprehensive plan (Future Hoover) the typical response by the city to stormwater and flooding is “private property”, “not accepted”, excessive cost, or “unprecedented event”. This begs several questions:

· Why won’t the city use and enforce its own code?

· Why are taxpayers accepting the cost of repairs that should fall to developers?

· What good are consultants if the city won’t take action on their recommendations?

· If the city can’t afford to fix problems that impact multiple homeowners how can those individuals afford that remediation?

· Where are the city’s priorities when homes and streets are flooded and damaged while the city donates $50,000 to a high school for a jumbotron?

· Why is the city annexing and purchasing property when they have expressed concerns over being able to provide “exceptional services” with the challenges of growth?

· What do these statements mean in the subdivision code “The Subdivision Regulations also recognize the responsibility of the City to maintain public improvements. Proper and timely maintenance is essential to preserve the required improvements through the design life.” And “Concern for the health, safety, and welfare of the entire City” (January 11, 1982)?

· Is it good enough for the city to look good on paper and with bright and shiny objects and ignore the infrastructure that impacts the health, safety, financial welfare and environment of the residents?

References

Alabama Code Title 11. Counties and Municipal Corporations § 11-48-4

Future Hoover: A Grand Vision of an Exceptional City

2040 Comprehensive Plan Accepted by Hoover Planning Commission July 8, 2019 Amended December 14, 2020 By Mac Martin (City Planner) and KPS Group Inc. Consulting fee $150,000

Chapter 12 Planning and Development

https://library.municode.com/al/hoover/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_APXIISURE&showChanges

MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) 2021 is the report based on October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021 filed January 4,

2022. Developed by Chris Reeves (Hoover Engineer) and Hydro Engineering Solutions. (cost unknown)