Wednesday Meeting

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27

8:30 a.m. – Natural and Environmental Resources Committee--

Meets in the Conference Room of the County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

The committee will be continuing consideration of a Water Resources Action Plan.

Also being presented for the Committee to review is the McHenry County Conservation District Budget.

A proposed Resolution is being presented for consideration-- Recognizing McHenry County’s Class III Groundwater Designated Areas for Protection from Contamination to Be Incorporated into the Sensitive Aquifer Recharge Area Overlay Map.

Water Resources Action Plan (WRAP), Sub-Section B9: Planning for the Future with two attachments and a power point on the topic.

Stormwater Management is a topic which is being presented to the Committee with a Summary of Stormwater Management legislation (House Bill 3372) which passed the House of Representatives 73 to 43. It provides Illinois counties with more flexibility to address basement and street flooding and water pollution from stormwater runoff. It also encourages the se of green infrastructure to save money.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Mike Fortner, with co-sponsors, Reps. Mike Tryon, Barbara Flynn Currie, Lisa Dugan, Robyn Gabel, Karen May, Rita Mayfield, Elaine Nekritz, Cynthia Soto, and Dave Winters. In the Senate, the legislation is sponsored by Sen. David Koehler, with co-sponsors Senators. Mike Noland, Iris Martinez, and Jacqueline Collins.

Stormwater is the principle contributor to local basement and street flooding as well as pollution of Illinois water bodies. Under current law, the urban counties must pay the state a stormwater permit fee, but receive no financial assistance,  

Proposed legislation would allow counties to adopt a schedule of fees as a source of revenue to cover the cost of ongoing stormwater management services and activities. Counties would be required to provide at least two years notice before adopting any fees. During this time the counties are required to provide education on green infrastructure practices and an opportunity to implement them in order to reduce or eliminate their fees.