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. <br /> the city's wetlands which are viewed not only as an imiportanat natural resource <br /> for the aesthetic and environmental value they provide but also as a significant <br /> water drainage and water quality resource. <br /> Third: INCREASED STORMWATER VOLUME -- As the Eugene urban area has <br /> grown, the number of surfaces that do not absorb stormwater (rooftops, streets, <br /> parking Ibfsl'have also grown. The net result is an ever - increasing volume of water <br /> that must be managed by the storm drain system. <br /> Fourth: DECLINING SYSTEM CAPACITY AND PERFORMANCE -- While the City <br /> continues to meet U.S. Corps of Engineer requirements to ensure a grade _ flood <br /> insurance rating, the city's current storm drain system is increasingly unable to <br /> manage the increased volume of storm water. Open storm drain systems located <br /> within developed residential subdivisions have proven to be difficult to maintain, <br /> and in some cases no longer function, in part due to their use as disposal areas for <br /> brush, grass, and other materials. An increasing number of ponding situations are <br /> occuring after storms because of indequate drainage due to blocked culverts or <br /> inlets or backwater caused by undersized downstream storm sewers. As the city <br /> continues to expand, particularly in neighborhoods in west and north Eugene where <br /> the slope of the land does not encourage natural runoff, changes in the storm drain <br /> system will be required. <br /> PROPOSED SERVICE DELIVERY APPROACH FOR THE FUTURE <br /> Historically, stormwater management in Eugene has focused on drainage and flood <br /> control objectives. Demands for improved water quality, wetland restoration, and <br /> enhanced drainage performance and capacity have come together in a way that <br /> has enabled the city's total approach to stormwater management to be re- <br /> evaluated. <br /> After extensive public involvement and comment, the City Council adopted a <br /> Comprehensive Storm Water Management Plan (CSWMP) in of 19 that <br /> outlines the direction of the city's efforts, not only to improve the quality of the <br /> city's surface water, but to do it in a way that integrates the objectives of storm <br /> drainage, surface water quality enhancement, and wetland management into a <br /> unified service system. <br /> In order to make this multi- objective program a reality, the City Council authorized <br /> v an "impervious surface user fee" for all residences and businesses in Eugene <br /> beginning _ . This fee, which will be billed according to the number of square <br /> ` of impervious surface owned by the home or business was instituted to <br /> S 1' finance the additional efforts that will be required to manage water drainage into <br /> q 9 9 <br /> ti the next century, protect the quality of th t erways that receive this drainage, <br /> \ a �� and preserve impacted natural resource thh are important resources in their own <br /> U right but that also can be tapped for their integral flood drainage and water quality - <br /> b enhancement capabilities. The "impervious surface user fee" is expected to <br /> a <br />