Chamber Statement on City Council Stormwater Vote

The Chamber is disappointed with the council's adoption of the new drainage criteria regulations at Monday's (1/9/23) meeting. This policy is the result of a process that does not reflect consensus among the development and housing community. The Lincoln Journal Star editorial board shared our belief that the city should have taken more time to achieve a mroe balanced approach. It is unfortunate we were unable to find consensus on our shared goals before adopting new regulations. In our view, a process that included the concerns of the development community and housing groups would have yielded a better set of policies and regulations.

Notably, the revised standards will not reduce flooding risks in Lincoln's existing built environment. A home at risk of flooding today will still be susceptible to flood risk in future storm events. We appreciate city council members who worked with us to develop amendments that both address Lincoln's evolving climate risks while avoiding economic harm for businesses, citizens and disadvantaged communities. We will continue working collaboratively with members of the stormwater coalition and our elected leaders to address these challenges.