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    City of Newton


    Excerpt from Newton Municipal Code

    Chapter 58- Stormwater Control

    258-17 Maintenance and repair

    B. General maintenance.
    1. The design engineer shall prepare a maintenance plan for the stormwater management measures incorporated into the design of a major development.
    2. The maintenance plan shall contain specific preventative maintenance tasks and schedules; cost estimates, including estimated cost of sediment, debris, or trash removal; and the name, address, and telephone number of the person or persons responsible for preventative and corrective maintenance (including replacement). The plan shall contain information on BMP location, design, ownership, maintenance tasks and frequencies, and other details as specified in Chapter 8 of the New Jersey BMP Manual, as well as the tasks specific to the type of BMP, as described in the applicable chapter containing design specifics.
    3. If the maintenance plan identifies a person other than the property owner (for example, a developer, a public agency or homeowners' association) as having the responsibility for maintenance, the plan shall include documentation of such person's or entity's agreement to assume this responsibility, or of the owner's obligation to dedicate a stormwater management facility to such person under an applicable ordinance or regulation.
    4. Responsibility for maintenance shall not be assigned or transferred to the owner or tenant of an individual property in a residential development or project, unless such owner or tenant owns or leases the entire residential development or project. The individual property owner may be assigned incidental tasks, such as weeding of a green infrastructure BMP, provided the individual agrees to assume these tasks; however, the individual cannot be legally responsible for all of the maintenance that is required.
    5. If the party responsible for maintenance identified under § 258-17B(3) above is not a public agency, the maintenance plan and any future revisions based on § 258-17B(7) below shall be recorded upon the deed of record for each property on which the maintenance described in the maintenance plan must be undertaken.
    6. Preventative and corrective maintenance shall be performed to maintain the functional parameters (storage volume, infiltration rates, inflow/outflow capacity, etc.) of the stormwater management measure, including, but not limited to, repairs or replacement to the structure; removal of sediment, debris, or trash; restoration of eroded areas; snow and ice removal; fence repair or replacement; restoration of vegetation, and repair or replacement of nonvegetated linings.
    7. The party responsible for maintenance identified under § 258-17B(3) above shall perform all of the following requirements:
      1. Maintain a detailed log of all preventative and corrective maintenance for the structural stormwater management measures incorporated into the design of the development, including a record of all inspections and copies of all maintenance-related work orders;
      2. Evaluate the effectiveness of the maintenance plan at least once per year and adjust the plan and the deed as needed; and
      3. Retain and make available, upon request by any public entity with administrative, health, environmental, or safety authority over the site, the maintenance plan and the documentation required by § 258-17B(6) and (7) above.
    8. The requirements of § 258-17B(3) and (4) above do not apply to stormwater management facilities that are dedicated to and accepted by the municipality or another governmental agency, subject to all applicable municipal stormwater general permit conditions, as issued by the Department. (https://www.njstormwater.org/maintenance_guidance.htm.)
    9. In the event that the stormwater management facility becomes a danger to public safety or public health, or if it is in need of maintenance or repair, the municipality shall so notify the responsible person in writing. Upon receipt of that notice, the responsible person shall have 14 calendar days to effect maintenance and repair of the facility in a manner that is approved by the municipal engineer or his designee. The municipality, in its sole discretion, may extend the time allowed for effecting maintenance and repair for good cause. If the responsible person fails or refuses to perform such maintenance and repair, the municipality or county may immediately proceed to do so and shall bill the cost thereof to the responsible person. Nonpayment of such bill shall result in a lien on the property.

     

    Additional Links

    Newton Stormwater Page

    Newton Municipal Code

    New Jersey BMP Manual