Engaging and educating decision makers on the intricacies, impacts, and major monetary impacts, of stormwater permit requirements can be daunting and, at times, difficult to schedule, for small stormwater programs. The San Bernardino County Stormwater Program succeeded in engaging and educating local electeds to a call-to-action within a span of six months in 2024. This presentation will highlight the steps taken to engage and educate electeds on a highly technical draft permit.
The San Bernardino County Areawide Stormwater Program (Program) is an eighteen (18)-member group, consisting of stormwater representatives of San Bernardino County, San Bernardino County Flood Control District, and the Cities of Big Bear Lake, Chino, Chino Hills, Colton, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Highland, Loma Linda, Montclair, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Rialto, San Bernardino, Upland, and Yucaipa. These agency representatives work together to administer their respective local city or county and regional stormwater program requirements set forth in their 2010 Stormwater Permit, which had been administratively extended since its expiration in 2015.
In March 2024, the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board) released the Santa Ana River Watershed Tentative Order (TO), opening an initial 60-day public comment period, later extended to 120-days. The TO will become the watershed’s first regional permit, joining the Phase I programs from North Orange County and Western Riverside County with San Bernardino County’s valley area – the Santa Ana River Watershed Regional Permit.
Despite the regional nature of the TO, the Program would be able to retain its autonomy to administer permit requirements within the San Bernardino County boundaries. While the Program reviewed the potential permit requirements, agency representatives identified the “big ticket” items for their agencies and enlisted the assistance of Beacon Economics. The “Beacon Report” showed a combined $10.8 Billion monetary impact over the next 20 years for all 18 agencies, mainly in the construction and maintenance of stormwater infrastructure to comply with Numeric Limits and/or implementation of Watershed Management Plans.
Engaging the elected required an additional step – developing a one-page Fact Sheet of impacts to the community and its citizens. Working with the County Administrative Office and a local public relations firm, the Fact Sheet showed that the TO requirements would ultimately 1) harm disadvantaged communities – nine cities in the County have poverty rates that exceed the state average; 2) worsen the housing crisis – housing construction costs in the County may rise an estimated $25,000 per home; and 3) obstruct new roads, infrastructure – future projects costs may rise 5% -30% or more.
The Program coordinated live testimony from three mayors and a County Supervisor at the Regional Board’s workshop in September 2024. As a result, the Regional Board directed staff to continue meeting with the Permittees