Stormwater Stakeholder Advisory Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Stormwater Stakeholder Advisory Committee met on December 5, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Phoenix Building – 3rd Floor Conference Room, with Amy Sohner presiding. The meeting covered 8 agenda items in total, ranging from a minutes approval to several informational presentations on stormwater-related topics. 1 vote was taken during the meeting — the approval of the September 5, 2025 meeting minutes — and 3 public comments were heard. Informational presentations addressed subjects including Wetland Solutions, the Urban Growth Master Plan, data-driven insights from Lexington's MS4 Monitoring Program, an iTree Site Assessment at Fayette County Public School locations, and an update to the Stormwater Manual. The meeting also included discussion of potential topics for the next meeting and a closing announcements segment.

Attendance

The following 48 members were present at the December 5, 2025 Committee meeting:

Doug Burton, Jennifer Carey, Amy Clark, Ken Cooke, Amy Sohner, Scott Southall, Russ Turpin, Hal Baillie, Denice Bullock, Chris Chaney, Jason Drew, Becky Irwin, Chase Jones, Frank Mabson, Craig Morgan, Jennifer Myatt, Angela Poe, Mark Sanders, Abby Terry, Bailee Young, Eileen Burk, Ross Boggess, Erin Brennan, Jerry Davis, Andrea Drayer, Pace Cook Emmons, Steve Evans, Al Gross, Tom Hatfield, Jon Hathaway, Don Hill, Ken Johnson, Nathan Krebs, David Lowe, Doug McClaren, Richard McClure, John McMaine, Eddie Mesta, Tiffany Messer, John Pike, Francois Pomerleau, Lillian Schlaug, Ian Simpson, Brian Stephens, Jason Unrine, Steve Vogel, Mike Woolum, and Rebecca Stacy.

No members were recorded as absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

The committee held one recorded vote during the December 5, 2025, meeting.

• Approval of September 5, 2025, Meeting Minutes 0:35: A motion to approve the minutes from the September 5, 2025, meeting was made by Ken Cooke and seconded by Eileen Burk. The motion passed unanimously. No roll call vote was recorded, so individual member votes are not available.

Public Comment

Three members of the public offered comments and questions during the December 5, 2025 Committee meeting. No transcript timestamps are available for this portion of the meeting.

• Amy Clark asked whether the floating treatment wetland discussed during the meeting is a freestanding structure. She was informed that anchoring the wetland is the recommended approach rather than leaving it freestanding.

• Ross Boggess raised questions about dredging practices. In response, he was told that systems sometimes need to be reset through the removal of phosphate as part of the dredging process.

• Ken Cooke inquired about the research papers that had been presented during the meeting, specifically asking how many papers were referenced and whether they are accessible to the general public.

Approval of 09/05/2025 Minutes

0:35

The committee took up the approval of minutes from its September 5, 2025 meeting as the first item of business. Amy Sohner was the key speaker during this portion of the meeting.

The minutes were reviewed by the committee and subsequently approved without noted objection or significant debate.

Wetland Solutions

1:35

Dr. Tiffany Messer delivered a presentation on wetland solutions for addressing water quality impairments, with a particular focus on urban watersheds and the comparative effectiveness of different wetland designs.

The presentation was informational in nature, providing the Committee with an overview of how wetlands can be used as a tool to address water quality challenges in urban settings. Dr. Messer's remarks centered on the role wetlands play in mitigating impairments and the varying outcomes that can result from different approaches to wetland design and implementation.

No formal action was taken on this item, and it was received by the Committee as an informational presentation.

Urban Growth Master Plan Overview

32:16

Hal Baillie provided a presentation to the Committee offering an overview of the Urban Growth Master Plan. The presentation covered the expansion of the Urban Service Area as well as a focus on housing and land use considerations within the plan.

This agenda item was informational in nature, and no vote or formal action was taken as a result of the presentation.

*Note: The available data for this agenda item is limited. Additional details regarding specific concerns raised, debate among committee members, or further specifics of the presentation are not reflected in the provided source material.*

Data-Driven Insights from Lexington's MS4 Monitoring Program

1:05:07

Dr. Ian Simpson and Dr. Jon Hathaway delivered a presentation on findings from Lexington's MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) Monitoring Program. The presentation focused on data-driven insights derived from the program, with particular emphasis on correlations identified between pollutants and macroinvertebrate scores.

Macroinvertebrate scores are commonly used as biological indicators of stream and waterway health, and the correlations highlighted in the presentation suggest connections between pollutant levels measured through the MS4 monitoring effort and the condition of aquatic ecosystems in the Lexington area.

The item was informational in nature, meaning no votes or formal actions were taken as a result of the presentation. The discussion served to update the Committee on findings emerging from the ongoing monitoring program.

iTree Site Assessment at Fayette County Public School Locations

Russ Turpin from EcoGro presented information on the iTree site assessment conducted at Fayette County Public School locations. The presentation was informational in nature.

No timestamp is available for this agenda item in the meeting record.

*Note: The available structured data for this agenda item is limited. A full summary of the specific findings, school locations assessed, data collected, concerns raised, or recommendations made during the presentation cannot be provided without additional source material. Readers are encouraged to consult the meeting video or official minutes for the complete details of Turpin's remarks.*

Stormwater Manual Update

1:44:34

Abby Terry of Tetra Tech presented an update on the stormwater manual, covering proposed changes to green infrastructure requirements and manufactured treatment devices. The presentation was informational in nature, with no vote or formal action taken by the Committee.

The extracted data does not include further detail on the specific changes proposed, concerns raised by Committee members, or the substance of any discussion that followed the presentation. The outcome was informational only.

Potential Topics for Next Meeting

Under Agenda Item 7, the committee discussed potential subjects to take up at its next meeting. Amy Sohner led the discussion, which centered on two prospective topics: the downtown area master plan and infill redevelopment.

No additional details regarding the specific scope, format, or scheduling of these topics were recorded in the available meeting data. The item was informational in nature, and no formal decisions or votes were taken as a result of the discussion.

Announcements

During this portion of the December 5, 2025 committee meeting, announcements were made regarding upcoming meetings and events. Bailee Young addressed the committee with informational updates, highlighting two notable upcoming items: the Wolf Run Watershed Council meeting and the MS Forum.

No debate or concerns were raised during this agenda item, as it was strictly informational in nature. The announcements were presented for the awareness of committee members and no action or vote was required.