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When a City Runs Dry, The Frederick MD Story - Chuck Boyd
Published: 1/9/2005
2004 Southeast Watershed Roundtable Presentaion Click here for full agenda
As a result of unprecedented growth and inadequate tracking of water commitments, Frederick was forced to declare an 18-month moratorium on development. Under pressure from the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to establish and maintain a “safe yield” from its water supplies, the City of Frederick halted development while strategies were prepared and implemented. The “Strategic Interim Water Management Plan” established a series of water management initiatives and policies to guide the City of Frederick until permanent water sources secured. In addition to various water conservation efforts, MDE mandated the City establish a system to allocate its limited available water. The City drafted a Water Allocation Ordinance collaboratively with the development community reflecting local politics and priorities, yet remaining open and predictable. The Water Allocation Ordinance sets forth the general parameters on how water was to be distributed to the various competing sectors of Frederick’s economy. But, the devil is in the details. The Administrative Guidelines spell out eligibility of development projects and describe how water will be distributed. The Guidelines go on to establish the review procedures and contractual requirements to obtain water allocations. This session would explore the road traveled by the City of Frederick in developing a Strategic Interim Water Management Plan, a Water Allocation Ordinance, and Administrative Guidelines. The session reports on lessons learned in developing a system with no model to follow and describes how the City kept people working together to develop a fair system that restores their trust in government.
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