Stormwater treatment and public education. Jennifer Nicholson

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1 Florida Stormwater Association EXCELLENCE AWARD for STORMWATER PROGRAMS and PROJECTS NOMINATION FORM I. Nomination Information Nomination Category (please check only one box): Program (Department/Division) Project Company Name: (Note: Nominee must be a member of FSA and only 1 submittal per organization per category) Title of Nomination: (as you would like it to read on the award certificate- please be reasonable with the length of the title) II. Nominator Information Person Completing the Nomination Form: Phone: III. Program/Project Contact Information (Nominee) Contact FName: LName: Title: Company: Address: City: State: Zip: Telephone: City of Kissimmee Public Works Stormwater treatment and public education Jennifer Nicholson jnicholson@kissimmee.org Jennifer Nicholson Assistant to the Director City of Kissimmee Public Works 101 Church Street Kissimmee FL Jnicholson@kissimmee.org III. Description Please provide a brief description (not to exceed 500 words) of the program or project being nominated. Descriptions exceeding 500 words will have points deducted from total score. The description must include the following information in this order: A. The population of the host jurisdiction (i.e. county, city, etc.) B. Personnel included in the Stormwater department, division, project, etc. C. Budget and funding sources for the stormwater department or project D. A statement of existing goals for the department or the objectives of the project IV. Supporting Information Supplemental, supporting information and photos demonstrating that the program or project has succeeded in achieving or surpassing stated goals or objectives may be attached to the nomination form. Supporting information must not exceed 5 pages. Supporting information that exceeds 5 pages will have points deducted from the total score. V. Submittal Include this form and all supporting information on a compact disk and mail to FSA at the address below or PDF your submittal and to stormwater@ksanet.net. FSA Excellence Award East Park Avenue - Tallahassee, FL Questions? Call 888/ Deadline for Submission: February 28, 2014 FSA Office Use Only Member ID # Nomination #

2 Excellence Award for FSA Stormwater Projects Stormwater Treatment and Education on Lake Tohopekaliga The City of Kissimmee is an urban city located in Central Florida and has a population of 63,369. In 2013, The City opened Phase II of the completely renovated Lakefront Park located on Lake Tohopekaliga. Lake Tohopekaliga drains into the Kissimmee River and is considered the headwaters of the Everglades. From the initial design of the Lakefront Park project, stormwater design, treatment and education was identified as a priority. The City s Public Works Department worked closely with the Parks, Recreation and Public Facilities Department during the design and construction of the infrastructure of the park. The project consisted of 4 baffle boxes including 1 educational viewing box and multiple rain gardens that addressed the stormwater needs of the park and included educational signage. Each of these improvements collects treats and diverts what was previously a direct discharge to the lake. All stormwater is now fully treated before it is discharged. The budget for the stormwater improvements was nearly 2 million dollars and was completely funded by the City of Kissimmee. Those involved with the stormwater improvements for the project included Larry Clough (Project Manager), John Tulak (Construction Manager), Dave Derrick (Director), James Campbell and Ken Barrett (Construction Inspectors), and James Aresenault (Engineer). The stormwater improvement and education goals have been met through this unique and progressive design. On most days there are between 100 and 500 visitors to the park that take interest in the rain gardens and viewable baffle box. They read the signs that provide detailed information on how the water is treated through this state of the art system. Thus, the education has been a huge success. The City has a very active education program where they host environmentally focused events and take groups to see the new projects. The City is even taking it one step further by adding additional attenuation by diverting a pipe that previously connected directly to the lake. It will now flow to the new master retention pond located on the eastern boundary of Lakefront Park. The City jointly with the County received a grant for $25,000 for native littoral zone planting and $10,000 for educational signage and advertisement of the pond. In March of 2014, the County and City will be hosting a Community Planting Party where the residents will be participating in the planting of the pond. The City s goal for these projects is to reduce pollution, conserve water, encourage native planting, and educate the public. We have more than accomplished the goals through the baffle boxes, rain gardens, native plantings, volunteer opportunities, educational signage and outreach programs. Since the project s completion it has caught the eye of many including the University of Central Florida s Stormwater research team, the Stormwater Symposium and thousands of residents. In July of 2013 the City teamed up with multiple agencies to host a lake clean up and educational fair; 129 residents attended and over 2 tons of trash was collected. This is one example of how the City is engaging the community with regards to the projects.

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4 Stormwater Management Academy February 20, 2014 Jennifer Nicholson Assistant to the Director Public Works and Engineering Department City of Kissimmee, Florida SUBJECT: Letter of Support for FSA s project Excellence Award The Stormwater Project at the Kissimmee Lakefront I am pleased to support the application from the City of Kissimmee for FSA s Project Excellence Award. The project is the City s Stormwater Management system at the Kissimmee Lakefront Park. I have recently reviewed the project as part of our efforts to document effectiveness of BMPs and to improve their operations. Thus I am familiar with both the design and operation of the stormwater project at the Kissimmee Lakefront Park. The stormwater project is located in a highly visible area in the City of Kissimmee. As such it gets a high number of visitors in a day. Add to the normal visitors, the special event programs held by the City and the publicity afforded stormwater management in general is valuable to the profession. I have noticed public interest in the viewable baffle box and the rain garden during my field trips to the site. The City is a valued partner working to improve technologies and to join in research efforts to document changes. An example of research is the determination of maintenance frequencies (cleaning frequencies) for the Nutrient Separating Baffle Box (NSBB). Other examples are modifications to the NSBB to improve sedimentation capture and dissolved nutrient removal. The City again has been most accommodating of all efforts. The project is a credit to the City stormwater professionals and the vision of the City. The project illustrates stormwater management used for the protection of Lake Toho and the Kissimmee River. I recommend the project to you for the excellence award. It will bring additional credits to the City as well as reflect on the value and positive impact of FSA. Sincerely Marty Wanielista, Professor Emeritus Stormwater Management Academy College of Engineering and Computer Science P.O. Box Orlando, FL (407) FAX (407) An Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Institution

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6 February 12, 2014 City of Kissimmee Attention: Jennifer Nicholson Kissimmee City Hall 101 Church Street Kissimmee, Florida Dear Ms Nicholson, I would like to commend the City of Kissimmee for it s implementation of an outstanding stormwater management design for the redevelopment project of Lakefront Park adjacent to Lake Tohopekallga, a major head water for the everglades. The engineered design incorporates many different BMPs and technologies, including bio-detention, bio-remediation, hydrodynamic separators, media filtration, and the general grade of the landscape. The large size of Lakefront Park, combined with drainage from the downtown district of Kissimmee significantly increased the complexity of the project. However, the result is a modern show piece project that is aesthetically beautiful and useful, and reaches out to the public creating awareness. Lakefront Park is sure to be park central for everyone in Kissimmee, and it s close proximity to Disney World will make it a show piece for travelers to enjoy from across the nation and around the world. Sincerely, Tom Happel President

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