NewsJournal - 7/29/05 "our View"

New Castle County's initiative to address dozens of deteriorating stormwater retention ponds is not a day too soon. It actually is dangerously late. The former administration of County Executive Thomas Gordon got bogged down in a jurisdictional dispute with the state over which governmental agency was responsible for maintaining ponds.

Current Executive Chris Coons announced this week the county is facing a stormwater management crisis. Given devastating flooding around New Castle County, water runoff calls for immediate action.

The great majority of the county's 450 retention ponds are ostensibly under the jurisdiction of homeowner maintenance associations. It's unreasonable to expect those groups, which collect annual fees primarily for snow removal and common to come up with the $100,000 to $300,000 necessary to fix failing ponds.

Currently, about 70 ponds need immediate attention for safety and en Non Journal file envirmental A disconnected pipe in the Salem Woods development was supposed to feed reasons. stormwater into a pond.

The state Legislature fmally recognized its share of responsibility this year and allocated more than $3 million to address the problems. The state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control requires stormwater runoff control. The county also budgeted nearly $4 million for major pond repairs.

A pending ordinance in County Council clarifies division of sand maintenance responsibility au. responsibilities s immediate mediate work on the seriously malfunctioning ponds. County officials also describe the ordinance as a oneyear amnesty that relieves civic associations from immediate financial liability for pond upkeep. But the notion that civic associations will raise sufficient money to pay for annual pond maintenance is absurdly unrealistic. Most civic associations struggle to collect dues from property owners, and there are no laws or regulations that require people to pay.

Stormwater retention ponds were a good idea 15 years ago that have unexpected consequences now. The state and county should start budgeting for the millions of dollars that will be needed for their repair and maintenance. Flood control is clearly a public safety issue, not merely a matter of local development. Residents didn't ask for retention ponds, and the government can't expect they will pay for them.

Review the full article online at: www.Delaware On-Line.com