Salem City Council Reviews New Water Restrictions Ordinance

Salem’s City Council Committee on Ordinances, Licenses, and Legal Affairs convened to deliberate on a significant amendment to the city’s Water Management Plan. The newly revised ordinance aligns the town's regulations with state standards, ensuring compliance and setting groundwork for effective drought management.

Key Takeaways from the Meeting:

• Purpose of the Meeting:
  • The Salem City Council Committee met to discuss amending an ordinance related to water restrictions to comply with state regulations.
• Main Amendment Highlights:
  • The modification mandates a tiered system for drought management, aligning with state-determined drought levels rather than relying on city engineers.
  • The revised plan includes a ward-based restriction schedule, dividing the city into wards with specific days allocated for permitted outdoor water activities.
• Ordinance Details:
  • A new tiered restriction applies based on drought severity:
    • Level One (Mild Drought): Non-essential outdoor water use is limited to one day per week outside the hours of 9 AM and 5 PM.
    • Level Two: A broader ban on non-essential water use, with limited exceptions for gardens and handheld watering.
    • Level Three and Four: A complete prohibition on non-essential water use.
• Discussion Points:
  • The council debated equity and feasibility concerning the ward-based watering day allocation, leading to recommendations for a more flexible regulation system.
  • Concerns were raised about ensuring adequate public education on new restrictions to ensure residents are well-informed about drought levels and appropriate water usage restrictions.
• Next Steps:
  • A motion was passed to refer the ordinance to the full council with amendments allowing the city engineer the latitude to adjust regulations as necessary, without requiring ordinance changes.
  • Future communication plans include permanent signage, press releases, and possibly code red alerts to inform residents about imposed restrictions and levels of drought.

This is an AI summary generated from this YouTube video. There may be inaccuracies.