HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources Advisory Board - Minutes - 06/16/2021
NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD
TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR
June 16, 2021 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Via Zoom
6/16/21 – MINUTES Page 1
1. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL - 6:00 PM
List of Board Members Present
Danielle Buttke - chair
Kevin Krause – vice-chair
Drew Derderian
Dawson Metcalf
Samantha Williams
Elizabeth Hudetz
Barry Noon
John Skogman
List of Board Members Absent
Hillary Mizia (Excused)
List of Staff Members Present
Lindsay Ex, Staff Liaison
Abbye Neel, Interim Water Conservation Manager
Liesel Hans, Interim Deputy Utilities Director
Donnie Dustin - Sr. Manager, Water Engineering
List of Guests
Community member
2. AGENDA REVIEW
No changes
3. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Community member (whose name was not captured in the recording) shared that
she was attending for the water discussion on behalf of her employer who does
developments. She is interested in listening into the discussion to understand how
this might impact their business.
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
There were a few minor edits to the May minutes. Dawson moved and Danielle
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seconded a motion to approve the May minutes as amended. Motion passed
unanimously 8-0-0
5. NEW BUSINESS
a. Water Supply Requirements and Allotments - Abbye Neel
Background
There are multiple water providers within the City of Fort Collins: East
Larimer County Water District; Fort Collins Loveland Water District; Fort
Collins Utilities (water); Sunset Water District; and West Fort Collins Water
District. Each district sets their own water supply requirements.
The water supply requirements and allotments being proposed here would
only apply to new development and re-development within the Fort Collins
Utilities water service area.
Fort Collins Utilities water impact fees for developers consist of:
Plan Investment Fees (PIF) reflect the impact of new development on
Utilities water treatment and distribution systems.
Water meter fees (WMF) cover the cost of installing and maintaining
meters in new developments.
The Water Supply Requirement (WSR) reflects the impact to our water
supply (from Horsetooth Reservoir and Cache la Poudre River) by new
developments. It is translated to water allotments for all commercial
and irrigation customers.
- Water Supply Requirements (WSR) costs are calculated by
multiplying the volume of water needed to meet additional demand
times existing water rights or cash-in-lieu of water rights. The
update of this calculation is the subject of tonight's proposal to the
NRAB for consideration.
- The proposed changes are in alignment with the City's Strategic
Plan, Utilities Strategic Plan, City Plan, Housing Colorado Water
Plan, Our Climate Future, Nature in the City, Water Efficiency Plan,
Water shortage Action Plan, Water Supply and Demand, and
Management Policy.
Water Supply Requirements (WSR) by the City's Utilities (water) began in
1960 and have evolved and incorporated an Allotment Management
Program as the City has grown. Council will consider the latest update to
WSR to address current growth this fall, with adoption in 2022.
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- Current proposal drivers are to increase accuracy, Improve equity so each
developer pays their fair share of the cost, and to promote water efficiency
and innovation.
Proposed new WSR concepts for new development will be more data driven and
detailed, and will require more input from developers and more staff time to
manage. There would also be alternative compliance for commercial and
irrigation taps and appropriate land use code updates. The water allotments will
also reflect how different landscapes and businesses use water differently and
will reflect appropriate cost implications. Cost will not be part of this update but
will be developed at a later time.
The new concept will be based on:
Residential = number of bedrooms + outdoor area
Multifamily = number of bedrooms (all multifamily & commercial
developments would be required to have a separate irrigation tap and
WSR)
Commercial = business type
Irrigation = Landscape type
Next steps:
Staff will continue with public outreach and education
Formal City Council Consideration (September 2021)
Policy adoption (January, 2022)
Related future efforts:
Update cash-in lieu (late 2021)
Require allotments for all non-residential customers
Add residential alternative compliance option
Evaluate and align Plant Investment Fee calculations
Discussion:
Danielle - Q - Can you explain why native grass landscape is anticipated to
use almost as much water need as bluegrass as shown in the graph? A -
The comparative example in the presentation shows 50,000 sq. ft of native
grass and 20,000 sq ft of bluegrass being compared to use similar amounts
of water. Danielle - commented the graph is confusing and suggested
highlighting the benefits of landscaping with native grasses because
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Council may not understand the water savings from native grasses looking
at this graph.
Danielle - Q - Can you incentivize using native grasses for landscaping in
new development? A - Yes. Utilities will be communicating with
developers at the very beginning of the process about water conservation.
Barry - Q - Do developers have to purchase water rights since all water is
already owned in Colorado per Colorado Water Law? A - A developer can
buy water rights or have cash-in-lieu of water rights, which is the more
common way developers obtain water. There must also be infrastructure
provided for those water rights.
Barry - Q - There is a declining amount of water in Colorado. As
development increases, usage increases. How can you continue to build
with a decreasing amount of water in Colorado? A - Donnie Dustin - Water
ownership can change from agriculture to commercial use. Water can also
be stored, as in the Halligan Water project.
Barry - Q - The NISP project says its purpose is to help agriculture usage
when, in fact, that water will be purchased for commercial use because of
growing development. The Yampa river is at critical stage and the
Colorado River's flow is declining. How, as a city, can Fort Collins promote
development, when development is based on a dwindling water supply?
Barry suggested the wording in the plan should make water savings
mandatory, not optional A - The new water supply allotments plan is
designed to require less water use.
Kevin - Q - Where does the ability for cash-in-lieu of water rights end and
developers are told there are no water rights available for development? A
- Liesel Hans - Fort Collins Utilities is one of 3 water districts that serve the
City. The other 2 water districts have different policies are mostly feeding
development. There have been slowdowns and development pauses
because of water allocations with them. The City's efforts are around how
to better use existing our city water rights.
Kevin - Q - Will the City be buying more water rights to satisfy development
and do we have a target for x number of years out where water usage
needs to be tied to reduced availability? A - Yes, but that is not the only
strategy. The water strategic plan has reduced water usage goals,
including the proposed new strategy being presented here.
Lindsay – shared that NRAB could include these issues and concerns
within a memo to Council, if NRAB elects to send such a memo.
Danielle - Q - The proposed plan is going in the right direction but she does
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not agree with the way it gets there through paying for what you use. That
is an inequitable way to use resources for those who cannot pay as much
as others. In addition, Parks are not conserving water by irrigating
Kentucky Bluegrass instead of natural grasses. She suggested the plan
incorporate language to support doing the right thing and align with City
Plan and City values by requiring conservation of resources. This is an
opportunity to explicitly incentivize gray water use for irrigation at lower
rates in this initiative. Barry would also like the issue of equity mentioned in
the proposal regarding paying for what you use. A - Abbye - Use of gray
water has been approved at the state level, however, Fort Collins Utilities
has not yet adopted it locally. However, they are exploring it, but it would
not be part of this update. Liesel - Council is interested and is becoming
informed about use of gray water, Colorado Water Law, and what additional
kinds of resources would be necessary to provide infrastructure
management to have gray water be part of water usage in Fort Collins.
Danielle A - Is there an opportunity to insert language into this proposal
referencing a future approval of gray water use and its benefits? A - Liesel
- Currently we don't currently have the data. The building and plumbing
codes get updated every 3 years and language can be inserted there to
anticipate future gray water systems.
Danielle - Q What are the opportunities to apply for Innovation Funds to do
testing to arrive at the data needed for the water usage update reports? A
Staff is exploring other resources to do this, including the Innovation Fund.
Kevin -Q - Is there an allotment resizing incentive for existing residential
customers such as a buy-back program? A - Currently only commercial
customers have allotments and there is not a process to sell unused
portions back to the City, mainly because of legal implications that water
rights add value to a property.
John - Q - Is there a way to re-evaluate existing allotments and to add a
surcharge if it is exceeded? A - Abbye - Only 11% of Fort Collins Utilities
customers have allotments. Staff is evaluating their usage needs as a next
step.
Danielle - Q - Is there an opportunity to evaluate the other 89% of
customers' usage as an allotment?. A - This could be an inequity issue
and staff has recognized this as a future project.
Danielle - A - What about sale of a property or a property that won't be sold
without an allotment that is grandfathered in? A - Currently, that is being
addressed in an equity project.
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John - Q - If a property is sold or redeveloped and doesn't replace the tap,
is there a way to add it into these revised allotment requirements? A - Yes.
As part of the proposal, when a change-of-use permit is applied for their
water requirement will be re-evaluated.
Danielle - asked the board if it wanted to write a memo of support to Council
regarding the proposed amended Water Supply Requirements and
Allotments proposal presented at this meeting
Barry moved and Dawson seconded a motion that the NRAB will
write a memo of support of the amended Water Supply
Requirements and Allotments proposal as presented with the
addition of the board's comments expressed here. Danielle will
draft the memo for the NRAB's review
b. Utilities - Water-related BFO Offers - Liesel Hans
Lindsay presented a spreadsheet with the current 2022 BFO offers that are
within the board's purview, and focused specifically on those offers in ENV 4.4 -
Provide a reliable, high-quality water supply, the purpose of which is to maintain
overall resiliency and drought protection for the City.
- John - Q - Will Council most likely approve these offers? A - If the offer is a
continuing enhancement that was previously supported, Council will most
likely approve them. The goal is to approve offers that support the City's
Strategic Plan and the overall operations and goals of the City.
Offer 1.23 - Current contractual position to finish Halligan permitting process
Offer 1.24 - Continue funding for Halligan permitting and design
Offer 1.28 - Temporary position for water conservation team
- Kevin - Q - How do you determine temporary vs. permanent position when
there is so much to do? A - This is to address additional workload of short-
term special projects and can be re-evaluated and extended, depending on
need. Lindsay pointed out there have been hiring freezes due to Covid
budget shortfalls.
Offer 1.29 - Continue water conservation xeriscape incentive program for HOAs
and commercial properties
Offers 1.32, 1.33, 1.34 - Ongoing asset management programs to maintain water
system infrastructure
Offers 1.35, 1.41, 1.45 - Continuing asset management enhancement to
proactively update distribution infrastructure system
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Offer 1.46 - Costs for operational technology
Offer 1.48 - Engineer position for process and supervisory controls division
Offers 1.5, 1.57 - Asset management - large valve, instrument replacement
Offer 1.53 - Consulting services - for water treatment plan
Offer 1.59 - To restore budget reductions budget shortfalls due to Covid
Offer 1.61 - Water supply acquisition fund - to keep abreast of water rights
opportunities and not losing any.
- Elizabeth wanted more information about the junior water rights that were
recently lost. Liesel will have Donnie Dustin send an answer to Lindsay
for her.
Offer 1.8 - Two positions of Water Engineer II to help with future planning and
managing water management for Utilities, Parks and Natural Areas
Discussion:
Barry - Q - Do Parks or other department communicate with other
departments regarding the acquisition of water rights? He suggests buying
water rights so people can tube from Shields to the water park to make a
"river trail". It is an issue of water rights to keep water in the river for quality
of life. A - Liesel - I would assume those who planned the river park did
address that, but I don't know.
Danielle - Q - Does the NRAB want to communicate to Council regarding
these offers? A - Lindsay – while Council won't receive the City Manager’s
recommended budget until September, she suggested the NRAB could
make notes on the spreadsheet now and revisit the spreadsheet closer to
that time and make a decision then to communicate to Council.
6. OTHER BUSINESS / UPDATES
a. Board Member Reports
Elizabeth - stated she is interested in "rank choice voting" that is currently being
used by 5 states and if anyone in the NRAB is also interested for them to email
her for more information
Kevin attended the Bicycle Advisory Committee
They reviewed the BFO offers regarding their issues.
He announced safety issue of bikes being not having to stop at stop signs
when it is safe to continue will not be discussed at the state legislature this
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term, but the BAC will continue to discuss it at the local level.
Parks is evaluating a below-grade crossing next to the Poudre River near
New Belgium.
CSU is leading a zero vision strategy to reduce fatalities and injuries.
The active modes plan will be combining the pedestrian and bike plans into
a single plan and collaborating with CSU
Kevin reported he got an e-bike and reports he uses it as car replacement trips.
Lindsay reported that Lucinda Smith has retired and that she, Lindsay, was
selected to be the next Environmental Services Director. Another NRAB liaison
will be selected, and Lindsay will keep in communication with the NRAB about
this
b. 6-Month Calendar Review
c. Revisit action items from previous meetings & preview of next meeting
d. discussion of remote versus in person meetings
Lindsay explained the NRAB can now choose to conduct their meeting in person
at 222 LaPorte building as before, continue to meet virtually, or in a hybrid
virtual/in-person manner. The board discussed virtual meetings being more
convenient and environmentally friendly.
Kevin moved and Elizabeth seconded a motion continue meeting virtually
until the end of the year. Motion passed unanimously 8-0-0
7. ADJOURN
8:32 pm