TO: Mayor and City Commission
FROM: Cale Curtis, City Manager
DATE: August 19, 2026
Title
ORDINANCE - AMENDING CITY OF MARGATE CODE OF ORDINANCES CHAPTER 34 - “STORMWATER MANAGEMENT UTILITY” - BY CREATING NEW ARTICLE I ENTITLED “IN GENERAL” FOR EXISTING SECTIONS 34-1 THROUGH 34-7, AND ADDING A NEW ARTICLE II ENTITLED “ILLICIT DISCHARGES AND CONNECTIONS”; PROVIDING FOR DEFINITIONS; PROVIDING FOR PROHIBITIONS, INSPECTION AND MONITORING AUTHORITY, AND ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES RELATED TO THE MUNICIPAL SEPARATE STORM SEWER SYSTEM (“MS4”); PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
BACKGROUND:
All of the municipalities in Broward County, including the City of Margate, are co-permittees under Broward County’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) permit.
Pursuant to the terms of that permit, in July 2025, FDEP initiated an audit of the City’s NPDES MS4 compliance practices. The resulting report confirms that the City of Margate was found to be in compliance with the permit; however, the final NPDES MS4 Audit Report indicated action items regarding the update of the City of Margate Code of Ordinances to enforce the regulatory component for two (2) ongoing programs, Illicit Discharges (Part III.A.7.a) and Construction Site Runoff (Part III.A.9.a). The FDEP audit indicated a lack of adequate language in the City’s code to prevent, reduce, and/or eliminate pollutants discharging into the MS4. Refer to the highlighted captions on pages 6 and 9 of the .pdf report document included with the agenda item.
This proposed ordinance is intended to address these audit comments through the amendment of Chapter 34 to include appropriate language in the Code to allow for proper enforcement with respect to Illicit Discharges and Construction Site Runoff.
RECOMMENDATION: Approval
FISCAL IMPACT: None
CONTACT PERSON: Curt Keyser, P.E., DEES Director