The goal of the Stormwater Management Cost-Share Program is to help homeowner associations and individual homeowners solve stormwater issues that are unlikely to be addressed by a City-funded project or receive funding from existing programs.

Homeowner associations

The Stormwater Management Cost-Share Program is to assist homeowner associations with the cost to maintain the capacity and performance of stormwater detention basins.

The pilot phase of the program will fund two homeowner association projects. The homeowner association will pay for the total cost of the project, then the City will reimburse the homeowner’s association for 50% of the project’s cost with a reimbursement up to $20,000.

 Maintenance activities that are likely to be funded in the pilot phase:

• Activities that restore basin detention capacity such as
  • Dredging
  • Removing debris and overgrown vegetation
• Activities that restore outflow performance such as:
  • Removing blockage from low-flow structures
  • Cleaning outflow pipes
  • Replacing failing outfall pipes

Individual homeowners

The Stormwater Management Cost-Share Program will also provide funding for individual homeowners to maintain existing stormwater management features or install new small stormwater management best practices (BMPs) such as raingardens or bioswales.

The Pilot phase of the program will fund up to five individual homeowner projects. The individual homeowner will pay for the total cost of the project, then the City will reimburse 50% of the project cost with a reimbursement up to $4,000.

Maintenance activities that are likely to be funded in the pilot phase:

• Grading or other improvements to drainage.
• Installing raingardens, bioswales, and other vegetated best management practices.
• Maintenance of some best management practices such as bioswales.
• Addressing erosion issues.

program-wide exclusions

Projects or activities that will not be funded in either category:

• If the location of the work will be within a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Special Flood Hazard Area, which are areas that will be inundated by the flood events having a one-percent annual chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year (100-year flood).
• Projects located on commercial properties.
• Work that is part of new construction or redevelopment.
• Detention required by regulations including the City of Creve Coeur, St.  Louis Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD), or Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR).
• Stormwater Management Solutions that involve pumps.
• Issues caused by the homeowner’s lack of regular maintenance or reasonable prevention will not be funded.
• If a site has already been awarded Stormwater Management Cost-Share funds to solve a problem, the site is not eligible for additional funds in a future year to solve the same issue.
• Compensation for the homeowner’s or homeowner associate representative’s time and effort to prepare and submit the Stormwater Management Cost-Share Program application.
• Compensation to the site owner for any lost wages or income due to the absence of work or time needed for the completion of the project or submittal and reimbursement requirements.
• Additional landscaping that is not central to the stormwater mitigation or management that will solve the stormwater issue.
• Post-construction site clean-up costs such as power washing the home, car washing, or cleaning windows.
• Projects cannot be installed within the right-of-way without written permission by the Director of Public Works.
• Solutions to problems caused by changing or additions to the site made by the homeowner or homeowner association such as:
  • Adding impervious area.
  • Modifications to site grading.
• Relocation or repair of underground utilities or personal property including but not limited to:
  • Public utilities
  • Irrigation systems
  • Lighting
  • Pools
  • Patios
  • Sheds

PROject requirements

• The project must be within the City of Creve Coeur.
• The project must provide stormwater mitigation or management.
• No invasive plant species – native plant species are preferred.
• Proposed work cannot increase runoff to neighboring sites.
• Reasonable erosion control should be temporarily installed onsite during construction phase
• The property owner must apply to the program – not the vendor or the contractor.
• Ninety days (90) after notification that the project was approved, a written status update must be submitted to the City. The update will include a list of all activities (design and construction) that have been done to-date and a list of future project milestones with estimated dates of completion.
• Funding from the City will be made directly to the homeowner or homeowner association – not to contractors or vendors.
• Before work begins, a Missouri 811 utility locate must be completed.
• Existing trees should not be removed for installation, and existing trees should be protecting during construction.
  • If a plan shows existing trees will be removed during installation, the application should explain why the trees need to be removed to solve the stormwater issue.
  • The plan should also indicate if replacement trees will be planted and where on the site the trees will be planted.
• For work being done by a contractor, multiple bids (three) are preferred.
  • If multiple bids are not provided, the applicant will need to explain why multiple bids were not included in the application.
  • The City will not reimburse for the cost of estimates.
• For smaller projects, the homeowner can perform the work.
  • City will reimburse materials and equipment rentals if paid receipts are provided.
  • Cost estimates will be required as part of the application and approval process.

Schedule & application process

The application deadline is January 11, 2024. Completed applications can be submitted in person at the Creve Coeur Government Center at 300 N New Ballas Rd or emailed to dgarson@crevecoeurmo.gov.

The City will have one application window per year. 

• Homeowner Association Application
• Individual Homeowner Application

review and application scoring process

Step 1: After the submission deadline, City staff will review applications for completeness.

Step 2: City staff along with a sub-committee of a few Stormwater Committee members will review and score applications.

Step 3: The scored applications will then be presented to the full Stormwater Committee, and the full Stormwater Committee will vote on which projects will be recommended to be awarded funding.

Step 4: The Stormwater Committee’s recommended projects will be presented to City Council for final approval.

Step 5: Applicants will be notified by the end of March if they were awarded funds.

Step 6: Applicants not awarded funds will be encouraged to reapply next year and given suggestions for improving the plan.

Scoring of applications

• Higher scores for Individual Homeowners will be given for:
  • Infiltration-based solutions.
  • Vegetative BMPs.
  • Solutions that also benefit neighboring sites and/or public infrastructure.
  • BMPs that improve water quality.
• Higher scores for Homeowner Associations will be give:
  • If the Homeowner Association has been actively maintaining the stormwater basin or other stormwater management installations.
  • If the application demonstrates that the stormwater basin receives and manages flows from outside the subdivision.
  • If the basin was installed before MSD regulatory requirements.

Stacking Funding will be Allowed

If a site has been awarded funding from another source such as the Deer Creek Watershed Alliance Rainscaping Cost-Share Program or MSD’s Rainscaping Small Grants Program, the site also will be eligible to receive funding from the Creve Coeur Stormwater Management Cost-Share Program.

reimbursement

After installation is complete, homeowner associations and individual homeowners will be reimbursed 50% of the total cost up to the maximum limits for each program category.

City staff will conduct inspections throughout installation in addition to a final inspection. Staff must be notified when work will begin and given access to the worksite.

Funds will be released only if:

• City staff is notified when work will begin.
• City staff is given access to the site during work for inspection.
• City staff is given access to the site after construction for final inspection.
• The project is completed as described in the application.
• If significant changes are going to be made to the approved plan, the changes need to be approved by City staff and the Stormwater Committee.
• For homeowner associations, work must be substantially completed by within one year of notification of award.
• For individual homeowners, work must be substantially completed by December 1^st of the year in notification of award.
• Proof of payment (paid receipts or paid invoices) is given to the City.
• Pre- and post-construction photos are given to the City.
• Any necessary permits were obtained and final inspection was completed.

REsponsibilities

• The homeowner association or homeowner is responsible for maintaining and keeping the installed BMPs in good working condition. The City is not responsible for any future maintenance of projects funded by this program.
• The City is not responsible for damage to any underground utilities during construction. It is the homeowner association’s or homeowner’s responsibility to call for a utility locate before work begins.
• If the estimated costs of the project changes between the time of award and before construction begins, then a change order will need to be submitted to the City and approved by the Public Works Director.
• If the cost of the project exceeds estimates, the City will pay 50% of the cost only up to the upper limits of either $20,000 reimbursement for a total for a project cost up to $40,000 for homeowner associations or $4,000 reimbursement for a total for a project cost up to $8,000 for an individual homeowner.