Booker Creek Working Group
Council created a working group on stormwater management in the Booker Creek Watershed after Chapel Hill community members raised concerns about deforestation and disruption of bottomland ecosystems that may accompany large stormwater basin construction. Council members petitioned the Town Manager to delay issuance of RFQs for the design and construction of new flood storage basins and create this working group.
- On September 22, 2021, Town Council approved creation of a Working Group on Stormwater Management in the Booker Creek Watershed (Working Group), consisting of experts, community members, and staff to bring back recommendations to the Council based on the charge provided by the Mayor and Manager.
The Report
Once Council received the final report from the Working Group, they referred it to the Stormwater Management Utility Advisory Board (SMUAB) and Town Manager to review, develop an engagement plan, and ask staff to establish an updated flood policy.
- On September 26, 2023, the SMUAB received presentations from the Working Group and staff about the report. View the presentation(PDF, 136KB). Watch the meeting recording.
- On October 24, 2023, the SMUAB discussed several recommendations in the report. Watch the meeting recording.
- On November 28, 2023, staff provided the SMUAB with background information for each recommendation(PDF, 131KB). The Board then discussed several recommendations with the document. Watch the meeting recording.
- On January 23, 2024, the SMUAB approved the document to move to Council.
- Staff has incorporated and continues to incorporate the recommendations where appropriate.
The Working Group Members
The Working Group was composed of members of the public with diverse expertise and experiences. Maggie Chotas of the Dispute Settlement Center served as the facilitator.
Voting Members
- John Morris, Co-Chair (Water Resources)
- Doug Frederick (Forester)
- Antonia Sebastian (Hydrologist)
- Shugong Wang (Stormwater Management Utility Advisory Board)
- Pamela Schultz, Co-Chair (Stormwater Management Utility Advisory Board)
- Jeanette Bench, Vice Chair (Parks, Greenways, and Recreation Commission)
- Tom Henkel (Environmental Stewardship Advisory Board - formerly Judy Gaitens-Arneson until May 2023 and Noel Myers until October 2022)
- Chad Pickens (Business owner with flooding property)
- Miguel Rojas Sotelo (Homeowner in Booker Creek watershed with flooding property)
- Michael Dupree (Expert content resource)
- Louie Rivers (Environmental Justice)
Non-voting Support
- Amy Ryan (Council Liaison)
- Loryn Clark (Deputy Town Manager)
- Lance Norris (Public Works Director)
- Chris Roberts (Manager of Engineering & Infrastructure)
- Sue Burke (Stormwater Engineer)
- Alisha Goldstein (Former Engineer III)
- Sammy Bauer (Community Education Coordinator)
- Morgan Flynt (Stormwater Outreach Intern)
- John Richardson (Community Resiliency Officer)
- Tom Murray, Consultant (WK Dickson)
Framing Questions
Mayor Pam Hemminger provided framing questions to guide the group's discussions at their first meeting on October 7, 2021.
- Where is it flooding in our community and by how much? (in layman's terms - 6 inches, etc.) How many homes, streets, and businesses?
- What ideas can help reduce flooding during big storm events - and by how much?
- How to get the community engaged on their own properties with stormwater reduction
- How long do you think it will take to come back with short term and long term ideas?
- Who is not at the table, and what expertise do you still need?
The Meetings
The Booker Creek Working Group met many times over the course of approximately a year and a half. In this list, you'll find information from and about each meeting.
May 22, 2023 (final meeting)
The Working Group met to discuss their final report to Council. Members voted to approve the final report with the addition of language about environmental justice in the introduction.
September 12, 2022
The Working Group met to discuss their progress with the draft report to Council after taking a summer recess.
June 27, 2022
The Working Group met to discuss possible recommendations, the report template, and the next steps for writing the report.
June 6, 2022
The Working Group met to discuss equity, managing stormwater runoff, and a tentative recommendation to Council.
May 25, 2022 Council Work Session
The Working Group chairs provided an update to Council about the group's work. The update included a list of tentative recommendations for the Stormwater program.
April 25, 2022
The Working Group met to discuss the Town of Cary's stormwater initiatives, a recommendation to protect bottomland forests, and the next steps for the Working Group.
April 4, 2022
The Working Group met to discuss flood damage reductions, the Booker Creek watershed boundaries, and potential recommendations.
March 14, 2022
The Working Group met to discuss a green infrastructure grant program and a process for drafting recommendations to Town Council.
February 21, 2022
The Working Group met to discuss stream functions and ecology.
January 31, 2022
Two Working Group members presented information and resources that relate to flooding.
January 10, 2022
The Working Group met to discuss presentations from Stormwater staff and Michael Dupree.
December 6, 2021
The Working Group met to adopt their mission statement and discuss presentations from Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
October 20, 2021 Council Work Session
The Working Group provided Council an update on the activities of the Booker Creek Working Group.
October 18, 2021
The Working Group met to discuss the draft mission statement and other agenda items.
October 7, 2021
The Working Group held its first meeting to begin building an effective and productive culture for the group while shaping the group's charge and leadership.