HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-13-073 - 2014 Stormwater RAIN Program Extension
REPORT TO:
Finance and Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:
September 9, 2013
SUBMITTED BY:
Barbara Robinson P.Eng. M.A.Sc., Director of Engineering
519-741-2200 X 7410
PREPARED BY:
Nick Gollan C.E.T., Manager, Stormwater Utility
519-741-2200 X 7422
WARD(S) INVOLVED:
All
DATE OF REPORT:
September 3, 2013
REPORT NO.:
INS 13-073
SUBJECT: 2014 RAIN Program Extension
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the Deputy CAO of the Finance and Corporate Services Department be authorized
to execute a contract extension with the Ministry of the Environment to the satisfaction
of the City Solicitor for the 2014 RAIN Program: An Ecological Approach to Stormwater
Management in Kitchener.
THAT a Deputy CAO be authorized to execute a contract extension with Waterloo Region
Green Solutions, doing business as REEP Green Solutions to the satisfaction of the City
Solicitor for the 2014 RAIN Program: An Ecological Approach to Stormwater Management
in Kitchener.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Ministry of the Environment (MOE) announced a new funding program called Showcasing
Water Innovation (SWI) on April 29, 2011. SWI is the province’s program to fund leading edge,
innovative and cost-effective solutions for managing drinking water, wastewater and stormwater
systems in Ontario communities. The program complements Ontario’s water strategy and the
Water Opportunities Act by fostering innovation, creating opportunities for economic
development and protecting water resources for present and future generations.
Under the SWI program, the province will fund projects that:
take an integrated and sustainable approach to solve water management challenges;
use new and innovative approaches and technologies;
produce results that can be easily used by other communities; and,
create partnerships that highlight the benefits of collaboration.
The City of Kitchener, in partnership with Waterloo Region Green Solutions (REEP), Green
Communities Canada, and City of Waterloo, was awarded approximately $1M in funding in
2012 through the Ministry of the Environment SWI Program. The funding was used to augment
the existing RAIN program funded by other sources and was a three year project ending at the
end of 2013 that demonstrated a community based alternative approach to emphasizing source
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reduction of stormwater pollutants and volume. Due to the success of the program and positive
community response it is recommended to continue the RAIN Program in 2014.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Kitchener created a stormwater utility in January 2010 to provide a sustained source
of operating funds to maintain and improve stormwater infrastructure in the City of Kitchener. In
January 2011 stormwater rates were applied to residential and non-residential properties. In
March 2012 residential and non-residential property credits of up to 45% (retroactive to 2011) of
the stormwater fee became available to those property owners who demonstrated the use of
stormwater management best practices.
In March 2012 the SWI Fund, administered by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, made it
possible for the Cities of Kitchener and Waterloo to partner with a community non-profit, REEP
Green Solutions, to test and deliver a community–based stormwater education program called
RAIN.
The primary goals of this program were to educate property owners about using onsite controls
to manage stormwater, encourage uptake of best management practices and to encourage
property owners to apply for stormwater credits. Guided by the principles of community-based
social marketing, the two (2) year RAIN program identified barriers to public participation and
developed cost effective tools that inspired residents in Kitchener and Waterloo to take action.
The program included the creation of 6 demonstration projects, 20 hands-on public workshops,
8 contractor training sessions, a stormwater superhero video series, online case studies and a
variety of community events including a residential and non-residential best practices tour and a
rain barrel distribution day. The program also delivered one-on-one educational support
services in the form of 250 RAIN Home Visits to residential property owners. Non-residential
engagement demonstrated success with contractor training workshops, a best practices tour for
stormwater professionals, demonstration project partnerships, and beta-testing of RAIN
Business Visits.
The RAIN Program success hinges on the ability of the non-profit to work with its existing
volunteer, community organization, for-profit and government agency networks to build a strong
foundation of community support. Through these networks successful working relationships are
developed with community champions and these champions in turn positively influence others
to take action, further growing the RAIN program. Unique community collaborations are paired
with practical, cost effective solutions to stormwater management problems. These make for
compelling stories that garner regular media attention which further broaden the scope of
community engagement and drive adoption of stormwater best management practices within
the community.
REPORT:
Building on the success of the existing RAIN Program, an expansion of the non-residential
outreach program is proposed in order to better address community needs. The non-residential
outreach strategy will be similar to the residential approach in that it focuses on the use of
demonstration projects to provide hands-on learning opportunities, generates a growing network
of best practises sites and case studies and creates community champions that will help to drive
program participation in the future. It is proposed that 40 RAIN Business Visits be delivered in
order to help drive the abovementioned program components. The addition of a recognition
program for the residential and non-residential sectors will act as a catalyst to increase
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participation and raise the profile of the program. With a focus on non-residential property
owners, it is proposed that the delivery of one-to-one residential outreach activities be scaled
back from 150 per year to 15 RAIN Home Visits in 2014, this will enable continued support of
existing residential community networks.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
Community Priority - Environment
“Continue to show leadership in the development of an environmentally sustainable community.”
The City continues to ensure effective implementation of the stormwater management facilities
in a sustainable and optimized manner in order to protect the environment and source water.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
In order to be eligible for SWI funding, applicants were required to identify matching funding
from their own budgets. In the 2011 SWI grant application the City of Kitchener identified $1.8M
budgeted for the credit policy (2011-2013) as the matching contribution. Staff project that at the
end of 2013 $800K will have been spent on the credit policy both in credit payments to private
property owners and in staff time over the same period.The budgeted surplus for the credit
program from 2011 to 2013 will be returned to the stormwater utility. Any surplus/deficit within
the utility will then flow to the stabilization reserve. To meet the obligations under the grant
agreement, the 2014 RAIN program funding (see Table 1) will be added to the 2014 capital
forecast.
RAIN Community Based Activities $85,200.00
RAIN Education Services Activities $115,650.00
RAIN Recognition Activities $27,700.00
Total (excl. HST) $228,550.00
Table 1: 2014 RAIN Program Costs
Funds provided by the City of Kitchener in partnership with the City of Waterloo are leveraged
significantly by supporting an outreach strategy that engages a non-profit agency. The agency
itself engages hundreds of volunteers directly each year, and accesses hundreds of other active
participants through partnerships with other community, government, university, and college
organizations.
Demonstration project funds contributed by the community engagement program are leveraged
successfully to generate thousands of additional dollars per project. Social media and traditional
media engagement provide excellent exposure at no additional cost to the City of Kitchener.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
In addition to the extensive community outreach that has taken place over the past two years
through the RAIN Program, in 2014 it is proposed that the Environment Committee will play a
role in the program through the implementation of the Council endorsed 5 Best Bets for Air
Quality in Kitchener. Specifically, staff will seek to collaborate with representatives from the
Environment Committee to develop and distribute information about the stormwater credit policy
to encourage onsite controls to reduce stormwater pollutants from entering the municipal
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stormwater system. Staff will also consult with the Environment Committee for the development
of a recognition program to acknowledge and raise the profile of community champions related
to stormwater best practices.
CONCLUSION:
Community-based engagement as related to influencing property owners to take positive action
as related to stormwater best management practices has proven to be effective, while clearly
demonstrating the City of Kitchener’s ability to leverage funds by harnessing the
communications, promotions and fundraising potential of community networks.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY:
Pauline Houston, Deputy CAO
Infrastructure Services Department
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