Fiscal Note
Funds are available in the Madison Sewer Utility Budget ES01-54901-542100. The estimated cost of the brochures is $500 or less.
Title
AMENDED - Authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute an agreement with Sustain Dane to use City Facilities for the production and distribution of rain barrels. (City Wide ADs)
Body
Preamble
The connection of a building's rain gutters and downspout to a rain barrel provides the opportunity to store the rainwater for irrigation several days after a rain event. While rain barrels do not significantly reduce the runoff of stormwater during the design storm event, they do reduce the amount of water used from the city's deep well aquifer and the energy needed to pump that water for irrigation purposes. Furthermore, residents do not pay wastewater fees for water retained in the collecting rain barrels.
Sustain Dane has developed an ingenious gravity valve system to divert the rainwater from the downspout to the barrel that minimizes the risk of overflow to the building foundation. In order to assist Sustain Dane in accomplishing its goal to produce and distribute 1,000 rain barrels, additional storage and production areas are required.
The Engineering Division could accommodate the storage of the rain barrels at its facility at 1600 Emil Street. The Street Superintendent has determined that this use will not compromise the Street Division's operations. (Engineering and Streets share the site.)
Volunteers will assemble the barrels and valves after regular working hours. Sustain Dane will provide the proof of liability insurance coverage required by the Comptroller and the City Attorney.
Engineering will contribute labor and equipment to haul the barrels and provide small tools to the volunteers. Those costs will assigned to the Madison Sewer Utility. In addition, the Sewer Utility will fund the printing of brochures up to $500.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City contact neighborhood a...
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