A Federal 319 grant was awarded to the Washington Conservation District to develop and pilot a Community Assistance Package (CAP) and provide a real testing ground for the application of the new MIDS performance goals, credits and calculators. The pilot community project involves regional and focused community assistance in the form of education, training, review and consultation services, and tools and resources such as ordinance goals. Education and training includes NEMO-Nonpoint source Education for Municipal Officials and Stormwater U-technical training for staff and consultants.
Four pilot communities were selected in the St. Croix Basin-Centre City, Chisago, Lindstrom and East Bethel. These communities received free education, training and consulting services to update plans, ordinances and codes to protect their local water resources and ultimately the St. Croix River.
A Community Assistance Package (CAP) was submitted to the MPCA and the MPCA has completed it's review. The package includes performance goals, a calculator for determining stormwater credits for best management practices and ordinance guidance for communities. Use of the MIDS CAP can help a community measure progress toward water and natural resource protection and restoration goals.
File:Community assistance package.pdf
Valley Branch Watershed District: In December, 2013, Valley Branch Watershed District amended their stormwater rules to include the MIDS performance goals and Design Sequence Flow Chart. Cities affected by this rule include: White Bear Lake, Maplewood, North St. Paul, Mahtomedi, Pine Springs, Grant, Oakdale, Lake Elmo, Oak Park Heights, Baytown Township, West Lake Township, Woodbury, Afton and St. Mary's Point. For more information, contact John Hanson, Valley Branch District Administrator at 952-832-2622 or jhanson@barr.com. The revised rules can be found on the Valley Branch Watershed District's web site
The Middle St. Croix Watershed Management Organization was awarded a Clean Water grant in 2014 to implement the MIDS Community Assistance Package. The watershed management organization will work with up to 13 communities in the St. Croix Basin to adopt ordinance and code revisions to incorporate MIDS stormwater quality and volume standards for new development and redevelopment. Contact Mikael Isensee, Administrator of the Middle St. Croix at 651-330-8220 extension 22 or misensee@mnwcd.org.