Michael Wolf, public works director for Oxnard City, said the city manages stormwater under the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permit renewed in February 2021 and that compliance will require capital projects, maintenance and interjurisdictional coordination.

Wolf said stormwater operations are housed in the wastewater division and are funded from the general fund and county tax benefit assessment units. He said the city maintains roughly 2,400 storm drain basins (cleaned on a six‑month cycle) and that crews remove substantial trash — he cited about 71,000 pounds recovered through storm system work.

Why it matters: MS4 permits contain regulatory requirements and watershed management planning obligations that often require large capital best management practices (BMPs). Wolf said most new requirements are unfunded, making funding the primary challenge.

Wolf described completed work installing trash capture devices in storm drain inlets (two installation phases shown in the presentation) and participation in a county watershed management program intended to achieve economies of scale for state mandates. He said the city cleaned more than 84 miles of storm drain channels in the last fiscal year.

Challenges Wolf listed included maintenance demand for channels and drains, persistent trash and vegetation, the need to coordinate across watershed boundaries, and capital funding to construct BMPs required by the watershed management plan.

Ending: Staff recommended pursuing funding options and preparing capital and asset management plans to meet MS4‑related obligations while minimizing impacts on general fund resources.