The City of Tampa Transportation and Stormwater Services Department strives to provide a stormwater management system that is both water-quantity and water-quality sensitive. The Planning Section maintains the balance between growth, existing flooding problems, and environmental stresses caused by stormwater runoff.
The Planning Section is charged with determining if and when system capacity is available for future development and plans for the integration and expansion of system pipes, ditches, and ponds. Long and short range capital improvement plans are developed, updated, and prioritized to address stormwater flooding and system replacement. The section is actively involved in Floodplain Management Activities and contributes to Community Rating Service activities which allow homeowners a substantial discount on flood insurance policies.
The Planning Section is also involved in regional water quality studies working closely with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission, the Southwest Florida Water Management District and various other planning boards and environmental organizations. Floodplain mitigation projects, evaluation of basin plans, and implementation of Basin Management Action Plans to address Total Maximum Daily Load restrictions all fall within the responsibility of the Section.
The Planning Section is actively involved in the development, implementation and maintenance of the Stormwater Utility and the Department's Geographic Imaging System (GIS). The Planning Section updates the GIS database for the Utility and coordinates with the Hillsborough County Tax Collector and Property Appraiser's offices. Mitigation credits for the Stormwater Utility Fee are examined by the Planning Section.