Dan Sweet, Stormwater Utility Manager, City of Charlottesville
Where were you born (and raised, if different)?
I was born and raised in Marietta Ohio located at the junction of the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers.
When and why did you move to the Charlottesville/Albemarle area?
I moved to the City of Charlottesville in 2007. I had been a frequent visitor to Charlottesville since the early 2000’s and had developed a love and appreciation for the Charlottesville community and the surrounding area. Specifically, I made the move to be closer to family, both in Charlottesville and in the area.
What were you doing before you came to work for the City?
I worked for a North Carolina based engineering firm with a small Charlottesville satellite office. I worked primarily as a designer for stream and wetland restoration projects.
Your job title is Stormwater Utliity Manager – what, in your own words, would you say you do?
In the most basic sense, I run the business of the new Stormwater Utility which provides a dedicated source of funding for the City’s Water Resources Protection Program.
What is the best part of your job? The most difficult part?
The best part of my job is the high caliber people I work with at the City, both within Public Works and in the many other departments that have a role in the implementation of the Stormwater Utility. The most challenging part of the job is time management given the workload and many tasks inherent in launching a new program.
How does your job most directly impact the average person?
I think property owners in the City will feel most directly impacted by having to pay the Stormwater Utility Fee for the first time this Spring. It is my hope and goal that the average person will be able to see the positive impacts of the Stormwater Utility. These positive impacts include improved public health and safety by repairing our City’s aging stormwater system, the implementation of green stormwater infrastructure that improves water quality and adds amenities to the City’s neighborhoods, and increased protection of our City’s water resources network.
What is the most interesting project or work experience that you’ve had while with the City?
I am a map and data nerd so I have found working with our impervious area data to be quite fascinating. I am also very engaged and interested in the City’s new Green Infrastructure initiative.
What is a little-known fact about you?
I am a secret Chris Isaak fan.
