Property owners are responsible to maintain their premises in such a way as to comply with this Chapter and prevent migration of debris into a County-owned storm drain system.
(Added by Ord. No. 3438, effective 9-13-12)
BMPs installed during construction or as measures for post construction storm water shall be maintained as required to ensure proper operation. Failure to maintain construction BMPs will result in a stop work order being issued until the site is in conformance with the requirements of this Chapter. Development, which includes installation of storm water devices, shall submit a maintenance plan or manufacturer maintenance guide for those facilities to the County of Tulare Resource Management Agency as part of the project submittal. The plan or guide provided shall be considered the minimum maintenance required, with additional maintenance performed as needed to comply with this Chapter.
(Added by Ord. No. 3438, effective 9-13-12)
All private property owners with post construction storm water devices or systems on their property shall enter into an agreement with the County documenting the devices, the required maintenance and the understanding of responsibility by the property owner for both routine and non-routine maintenance and reporting. Maintenance agreements shall specify responsibilities for financing maintenance.
(Added by Ord. No. 3438, effective 9-13-12)
The person(s) or organization(s) responsible for maintenance shall be designated in the Agreement made per Section 4-27-1330. Responsible parties may include the following:
(a) 
Property owner.
(b) 
Homeowners association; provided, that provisions financing necessary maintenance are included in deed restrictions or contracted agreements.
(c) 
County of Tulare.
(Added by Ord. No. 3438, effective 9-13-12)
Every person owning property through which a watercourse passes, or such person's lessee or tenant, shall keep and maintain that part of the watercourse within the property free of trash, debris, and other obstacles that would pollute, contaminate, or significantly retard the flow of water through the watercourse. The owner or lessee shall not remove healthy bank vegetation beyond that actually necessary for maintenance, nor perform vegetation management in such a manner as to increase the vulnerability of the watercourse to erosion. The property owner shall be responsible for maintaining and stabilizing that portion of the watercourse that is within their property lines in order to protect against erosion and degradation of the watercourse originating or contributed to from their property. Where the watercourse forms the boundary of said property, owner shall be responsible for maintenance to the centerline of the water channel.
(a) 
Structures. The owner or lessee shall maintain existing privately owned structures within or adjacent to a watercourse, so that such structures will not become a hazard to the use, function, or physical integrity of the watercourse.
(b) 
Existing Regulations. The property owner is responsible to comply with all laws, rules, and regulations of local, State, and Federal agencies that may have jurisdiction over wetlands and waterways. Maintenance must be done in a manner that does not adversely impact waterway species.
(Added by Ord. No. 3438, effective 9-13-12)
Non-routine maintenance includes maintenance activities that are infrequent, such as pond dredging or major repairs to storm water structures. Non-routine maintenance shall be performed on an as-needed basis and based on information gathered during regular inspections. If non-routine maintenance activities are not completed in a timely manner or as specified in an approved plan or agreement, the County of Tulare may complete the necessary maintenance at the owner/operator's expense.
(Added by Ord. No. 3438, effective 9-13-12)