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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Board - Minutes - 02/18/2021 WATER BOARD REGULAR MEETING February 18, 2021, 5:30-7:30 p.m. online via Zoom 0 2 /1 8 /202 1 – MINUTES Page 1 1. CALL TO ORDER 5:30 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL • Board Members Present: Kent Bruxvoort (Chairperson), Greg Steed (Vice Chairperson), Michael C. Brown, Jr., Cibi Vishnu Chinnasamy, Tyler Eldridge, Paul Herman, Randy Kenyon, Phyllis Ortman, John Primsky, Jason Tarry • Staff Members Present: Theresa Connor, Matt Fater, Katherine Martinez, John Song, Meagan Smith, Donnie Dustin, Jill Oropeza, Tim McCollough, Ryan Mounce, Mariel Miller, Liesel Hans, Matt Zoccali, Randy Kenyon • Members of the Public: Rob Graves, Rich S. 3. AGENDA REVIEW None 4. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION None 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Chairperson Bruxvoort asked for comments on the January minutes. Board Member Brown moved to approve the January 21, 2021 minutes with minor revisions noted. Board Member Herman seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: it passed unanimously, 9-0, with one abstention by Board Member Chinnasamy due to his absence at the January meeting. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Staff Reports (Attachments available upon request) i. Preliminary 2020 Year-End Financial Report (meeting packet only; no presentation) No discussion ii. Water Resources Monthly Report (meeting packet only; no presentation) No discussion WATER BOARD REGULAR MEETING 0 2 /1 8 /2021 – MINUTES Page 2 iii. Memo: Water Shortage Evaluation and Response Planning Efforts to Date (meeting packet only; no presentation) No discussion iv. Halligan Water Supply Project Year-in-Review Update (meeting packet only; no presentation; staff available for questions) No discussion. Special Projects Manager Eileen Dornfest commented that the project progressed well in 2020, has not been affected by the pandemic, and the design process is going well. She pointed out that the schedule has been updated to reflect uncertainty in the permitting tasks, and the schedule is now presented as a range of timeframes. b. Regular Items (Attachments available upon request) i. Raw Water Rental Rates and Delivery Charges Water Resources Engineer II Meagan Smith provided a summary of the raw water rental program, proposed formula for calculating rental rates and delivery charges, and proposed rates. This agenda item is scheduled for first reading on the consent agenda for the March 2 City Council meeting. This item shifted from an annual review with Water Board and Council approval to an every-three-years review starting in 2018. Discussion Highlights Board members commented on or inquired about various related topics including feedback from raw water customers on the proposal; curiosity about the biggest customer (staff is restricted from sharing customers’ identities and will consult City Attorney’s Office on confidentiality requirement); question on average amount of raw water rented (20,000 acre-feet) and average amount of raw water that is treated (25,000 af); lower rental sales expected this year due to wildfire. Board Member Brown moved to that Water Board recommend City Council adopt the proposed formulas for calculating rental rates and delivery charges for Fort Collins Utilities raw water supplies, as well as the proposed rental rate and delivery charge for fully consumable water for 2021 through March 2024. Board Member Ortman seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: it passed unanimously, 10-0 WATER BOARD REGULAR MEETING 0 2 /1 8 /2021 – MINUTES Page 3 ii. Watershed Fire Recovery Intergovernmental Agreement and Appropriation Water Quality Services Manager Jill Oropeza provided a summary of the Cameron Peak Fire post-fire watershed recovery activities, including a brief review of a draft intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the City of Greeley and Larimer County that outlines cost-sharing agreements as well as the structure of an appropriation to secure funds for watershed recovery projects and water treatment operations. City Council will consider this agenda item on March 16. Discussion Highlights Board members commented on or inquired about various related topics including Horsetooth Outlet Project surplus (returns to general fund); reserves funding; efficiencies; amount of appropriation request; wildfire areas; mulching; recovery timeline. Board Member Brown moved that the Water Board recommends City Council approve of the City of Fort Collins entering into an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for cost-sharing of post-wildfire watershed recovery work. Board Member Eldridge seconded the motion. Vote on the Motion: it passed unanimously, 10-0. Board Member Tarry moved that the Water Board recommends City Council approve an appropriation in the amount of $5 million, which will be used on watershed restoration treatments and operations costs associated with treating fire-impacted water supplies in 2021. Board Member Ortman seconded the motion. Vote on the Motion: it passed unanimously, 10-0 iii. 2021 Utilities Locating Supplemental Resources Utilities Deputy Director - Light & Power Tim McCollough provided a summary of the appropriation request. The current demands on the department exceed the available resources, in part due to Fort Collins Connexion construction. Excavators and engineering firms are starting to see delays in the department’s ability to provide timely locates in the Fort Collins jurisdiction. Staff recommends bringing forward in March an off-cycle appropriation to City Council of $500,000 funded from reserves to address resource limitations in the Utility Locates division. WATER BOARD REGULAR MEETING 0 2 /1 8 /2021 – MINUTES Page 4 Discussion Highlights Board members commented on or inquired about various related topics including funding sources and equitable allocation; Utilities service area and city limits (service area goes beyond city limits into Growth Management Area); 2018 locating law and subsequent increased engineering locate requests; the buildout and undergrounding of a new utility, Fort Collins Connexion, over three years compared to half the city’s Light & Power undergrounding over 25 years starting in the 1980s; actual number of locate requests was close to expected but length and effort required for each was greater than expected. Board Member Herman moved that the Water Board recommends City Council support the off-cycle locates appropriation as proposed by staff. Board Member Chinnasamy seconded the motion. Vote on the Motion: it passed unanimously, 10-0 iv. Recommendation to City Council Regarding an Amendment to the Metro District Evaluation Process City Planner Ryan Mounce summarized the recommendation. On June 16, City Council approved a six-month moratorium on new metro district applications and directed staff to develop possible changes to the Metro District policy that addresses issues raised by Council and citizens, and that fulfill established City goals. Staff proposes a performance points system, including a menu of options, with respect to housing attainability, energy and water efficiency and neighborhood livability attributes for each residential Metro District. The proposed system is intended to provide metrics that further define “extraordinary public benefits” as found in the current policy. Of particular interest is the Water Board’s perspective on the water conservation components described within the evaluation system. Discussion Highlights Board members commented on and inquired about various related topics including whether metro districts are created on the backs of developers (metro districts have the ability to issue debt to pay for infrastructure; future property owners pay); whether voters have a say on metro district formation and tax liability (2018 Council decision based on extraordinary community benefits); fire suppression systems; placing an additional burden on top of cost effective homes with these requirements seems counterintuitive; some of these topics have come up in focus group discussions; the issue is more complex than the metrics indicate, and seem to have conflicting objectives, i.e. ratchet up cost to implement the tool to create more affordable housing. WATER BOARD REGULAR MEETING 0 2 /1 8 /2021 – MINUTES Page 5 Chairperson Bruxvoort moved that the Water Board recommend City Council amend the Metro District policy and adopt the water conservation metrics as described in the proposed Residential Metro Districts Evaluation system. Vice Chairperson Steed seconded the motion. Vote on the Motion: it passed unanimously, 10-0 7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS None 8. OTHER BUSINESS a. Draft Memo to Council: Reimagine Boards and Commissions Project Board members discussed the draft memo, which details their opinions on the project and recommendations to Council regarding the proposed changes, namely the number of Water Board members. They agreed unanimously via straw poll to minor revisions and to send the memo to Council. 9. ADJOURNMENT 7:51 p.m. These minutes were approved by Chairperson Kent Bruxvoort and the Water Board on March 18, 2021.