Conference Agenda

In 2022, the City of Spokane Valley was operating its stormwater utility with the lowest monthly stormwater rates for residents in Washington State. Osborn Consulting partnered with the City to develop a proposed stormwater rate structure that encourages the City to proactively operate the utility. A key to success was utilizing an engineering-led team of experts in stormwater management, coupled with FCS Group’s knowledge of rate development. The resulting success was when City Council voted to raise stormwater fees for the first time in close to 15 years.

Stormwater comprehensive planning – maybe you do it every year, maybe the dust is starting to collect on your latest plan. Either way, planning for adequate funding and practical stormwater capital improvement projects (CIPs) can often make you feel like you’re drowning (pun intended). This presentation will throw out the life preserver and share how the City of Spokane Valley achieved this incredible investment in their stormwater utility program and how other agencies have approached CIP planning.

Spokane Valley has experienced significant population increase in recent years and is subject to increasing regulatory requirements for stormwater. Having not increased their stormwater utility fee in close to 15 years, the City hired Osborn Consulting to lead a consultant team in developing a proposed fee increase and a stormwater utility program master plan. Our goal was to establish a plan for the City to efficiently manage the capital improvement programs, operation and maintenance, retrofits, and level of service for the stormwater utility.

The presentation will cover key concepts utilized by the team in developing the City’s Stormwater Utility Program Master Plan and other stormwater comprehensive plans. This includes 1) how to approach identifying and planning for implementation of new Ecology requirements, 2) strategizing CIP development and long-term phasing, and 3) identifying programmatic needs. Finally, we will review the team’s approach to aligning all the “new initiatives” over the long term to develop a sustainable rate structure for the community with a focus on balancing growth and environmental stewardship.

Utilities throughout the United States are facing unprecedented challenges including aging infrastructure, water supply insecurity, prolonged drought, uncertainty, water quality improvements, and more stringent environmental regulations. Customer rate increases are needed to protect our vital infrastructure and build a resilient future for our communities. While conversations regarding rate increases are rarely convenient, they are necessary to build political and community support.

How do we make responsible investments that meet the needs of our systems and communities? How do we communicate the complex drivers for rate increases? How do we facilitate conversations in which customers feel heard and respected? These questions are top of mind for local leaders and decision-makers as they explore creative and adaptable solutions.

As a uniquely integrated engineering and communication firm, WSC has extensive experience working collaboratively with clients to build understanding around vital infrastructure investments amongst their rate payers and building community trust.
Our strategic communications professionals will share strategies and best practices for effective rates outreach and engagement, including the following:

• Considering community values and priorities when making infrastructure investments and structuring rates
• Leading a transparent and thoughtful process that results in defensible decision-making
• Leveraging data and storytelling to showcase investment needs
• Proactively engaging key stakeholders including high-users, influential community members, fixed-income customers, and more
• Centering tactics in empathy and understanding
• Directly addressing tough questions and key concerns
• Communicating the risk of deferred maintenance and investment to our vital water and wastewater systems

Attendees will walk away with the following skills and tools:

1. A framework for building community trust and support for rate adjustments
2. Lessons learned -- a collection of case studies
3. Tools and resources to consider in developing your “rates outreach toolset”
4. An appreciation for two-way engagement when considering infrastructure investments.

These tools can support districts and agencies of all sizes in creating effective communication and engagement strategies for needed utility rate increases.

To address regulatory commitments, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) launched the Natural Drainage Systems (NDS) Partnering program in 2017 by developing retrofits in the three major creek watersheds within the City. Due to topography, historical development, and economic factors, much of this area lacks formal drainage infrastructure.

Working with sister agencies, concurrent SPU programs, and community partners, the purpose of the NDS Partnering program is to deliver high-value improvements to over 60 blocks of neighborhood streets in Seattle’s urban creek watersheds. The purpose of the partnering in the NDS program is to develop shared projects within SPU programs and between SPU and other City agencies to offer multiple benefits to neighborhoods and the natural environment, including greener neighborhoods, reduced flooding risk, improved natural habitat for native plants and animals, healthier creek ecosystems, and calmer traffic patterns. This presentation will highlight the program goals and site selection process and share lessons learned in addressing the challenges and opportunities of partnering to retrofit underdeveloped urban right-of-way.

The current NDS program consisting of the Longfellow Basin (under construction), South Thornton Basin (construction starting summer 2023), and North Thornton and Pipers Basins (under development and design). This program leverages innovations developed under recently constructed retrofit projects to enhance the viability of green infrastructure in challenging site constraints and soils. These innovations include the use of weirs, underdrains, structural soil cells, and underground injection control wells.

The program’s innovative green infrastructure improvements are an example of how to successfully balance the needs of the right-of-way while improving quality of stormwater runoff. SPU strives for continual program improvement through delivery community-centered projects that economically improve service.

Oftentimes long term localized drainage issues require a root cause, basin-wide analysis to identify the truest source of the issues. Leaving no rock unturned leads to developing sustainable solutions. Issues from frequent roadway flooding, localized ponded water, high groundwater, poor water quality, and lack of conveyance systems can all be addressed through taking a big picture look at the existing systems and focusing on aligning solutions with current and future community needs and funding sources. A comprehensive plan can then be developed, breaking down the basin approach into bite-sized solutions that can be implemented over time.

Josh and Ronnie will discuss how they work with the full suite of stakeholders to get to resolution on sticky long-term drainage issues. They will examine four case studies to understand key lessons learned associated with creatively addressing multiple issues in route to developing an actionable basin plan. The resulting action plans are focused on optimizing and retrofitting existing regional facilities and existing conveyance systems to manage stormwater from current and future developments, in order to drive and maintain economic growth and meet environmental requirements. Aiming to steer conversations with the community through the implementation of innovate stormwater concepts, these case studies offer valuable methods for problem solving on a larger scale.

The root cause analysis performed by the team includes in-depth data reviews, field walks with O&M staff, review of maintenance records, on-site conversations with impacted community members, collection of detailed field information (geotechnical and flow monitoring data) and ultimately performing detailed hydraulic modeling to identify drainage areas of concern. All feasible alternatives to improve water quality and reduce flows to surface water by increasing stormwater infiltration, retention, and detention are considered and analyzed in terms of cost-effectiveness. Alternatives that are developed include a variety of projects from new storm drain systems, groundwater collection drains, hydraulic connections for disconnected areas, and new/retrofitted regional facilities. We will discuss our teams approaches to engaging with the community to assist in developing practical and creative solutions that minimize disruption to citizens lives, reduce the risk of flooding on private property, and provide sustainable solutions.