Title
Resolution Regarding Natural Features and Stormwater
Body
Whereas, Preservation of significant natural features including trees, woodlands, steep slopes, wetlands, tributaries, and creeksheds are important to this City and its residents and are assets for the sustainability of our City that are not replaceable in a lifetime; and
Whereas, The City made a strong commitment to the protection and management of its natural features through adoption of natural feature regulation amendments to the City code, the inclusion of prominent natural features and stormwater sections in the City's Master Plan, and the adoption of a Natural Features Master Plan; and
Whereas, It has been 20 years since the passage of most of those natural feature regulation amendments to City Code and over 10 years since passage of the Natural Features Master Plan; and
Whereas, These regulations are intimately related to those governing stormwater control; and
Whereas, The Natural Features Master Plan recognizes that urbanization and other forms of development in watersheds and their tributaries can threaten downstream water quality and quantity; and
Whereas, Damage to these natural features is better controlled than before regulations were first imposed; yet still often quite significant; and
Whereas, Stormwater events and time spent on those issues have cost the City and its property owners considerably over the last 10-15 years; and
Whereas, The impacts from stormwater runoff are rising, with significant rain events growing in intensity, in volume and it frequency, which have already caused significant expense to the City and to property owners; and
Whereas, The City has made major progress over these intervening years in gathering natural features, hydrology, and stormwater information, incorporating many layers into its GIS database, and in learning about the effects of climate change in the City; and
Whereas, Our policies and regulations need...
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