Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution authorizes the creation execution of a Volunteer Winter Maintenance Certification Program implementedation by the Engineering Division. The program will be implemented using existing staff and resources within the Engineering Division's adopted operating budget.
Title
SUBSTITUTE Authorizing the City Engineer Mayor and City Clerk to create a Volunteer Winter Maintenance Certification Program for both private winter maintenance professionals and City staff.
Body
WHEREAS, The City of Madison has been actively working on the reduction of salt use as part of our winter maintenance operations since the early 1970’s; and,
WHEREAS, the pollutants of concern in stormwater runoff and the technology required to address them is continually evolving; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Madison is regulated by an EPA WDNR stormwater discharge permit which requires documentation of the amounts of chloride and sand used during winter de-icing operations; and,
WHEREAS, additional pollutants, currently not numerically regulated under this permit, such as salt are impacting our receiving waters and groundwater; and,
WHEREAS, The City of Madison is committed to continuing to improve our environment by taking action to reduce pollutants being introduced to our receiving waters and groundwater; and,
WHEREAS, the Saltwise partnership consisting of the Storm Water Utility, Public Health Madison and Dane County, Capital Area Regional Planning Commission, Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, UW-Madison, MAMSWaP, City of Madison and Dane County Land and Water Resources to coordinate educational efforts around best practices for storm water; and,
WHERAS, the City of Madison, MAMSWaP, MMSD and Dane County have been cooperatively hosting Effective Winter Maintenance Workshops for 10 years; and,
WHERAS, training workshops introduce road salt applicators to the environmental damage from over-application, the equipment and techniques to effectively use de-icing chemicals, and alternatives to de-icing chemicals that can reduce the impact to our ground, surface, and drinking water resources; and,
WHEREAS, chloride may impair drinking water making it unpalatable particularly when the level exceeds the US Environmental Protection Agency secondary maximum contaminant level of 250 mg/L; and
WHEREAS, chloride has been steadily increasing at several Madison municipal drinking water wells, most dramatically at Well 14 where chloride has more than doubled from 58 mg/L in 2000 to 137 mg/L in December 2016; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Engineer is Mayor and City Clerk are hereby authorized to create execute a Voluntary Winter Maintenance Certification Program; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Madison Engineering Department will be the lead agency in defining the certification program standards, maintaining records of those certified, and modifying the program to insure that new information and technologies regarding snow removal are incorporated into the training.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Public Works shall approve the certification program standards.