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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Commission - Minutes - 08/19/2021 WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING August 19, 2021, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Hybrid in person at 222 LaPorte Ave and online via Zoom 08/19/202 1 – MINUTES Page 1 1. CALL TO ORDER 5:32 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL • Commissioners Present: Kent Bruxvoort (Chairperson), Greg Steed (Vice Chairperson), Cibi Vishnu Chinnasamy, Tyler Eldridge, Paul Herman, Randy Kenyon, Phyllis Ortman, Jason Tarry • Commissioners Absent - Excused: John Primsky, Michael Brown • Staff Members Present: Mark Kempton, John Song, Liesel Hans, Meagan Smith, Donnie Dustin, Lance Smith, Abbye Neel, Eileen Dornfest, Lois Rellergert, Gregg Stonecipher • Members of the Public: LS 3. AGENDA REVIEW • Chairperson Kent Bruxvoort briefly summarized items on the agenda. 4. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION • None 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES CHAIRPERSON BRUXVOORT ASKED FOR COMMENTS AND REVISIONS ON THE JUNE 17 MINUTES. Commissioner Tarry moved to approve the June 17 minutes. Commissioner Eldridge seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: it passed unanimously 8-0. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Staff Reports (Attachments available upon request) i. Financial Monthly Report (meeting packet only) WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 08/19/2021 – MINUTES Page 2 ii. Water Resources Monthly Report (meeting packet only) Discussion Highlights A commissioner inquired about the available carry over of water supply. Water Resources Manager Donnie Dustin responded that there are currently about 4,000-acre-feet of carry over available, as well as about 6 weeks until the demand should drop around October 1st. Another commissioner inquired if there was a rise in turbidity level in the Horsetooth Reservoir from other fires, to which Mr. Dustin explained that the Colorado-Big Thompson (CBT)’s system works to capture the sediment in the reservoirs of the West Slope of Granby before being delivered over this upcoming winter. iii. Memo: Second Quarter Post-Fire Water Status Update (meeting packet only) Discussion Highlights A commissioner inquired about the actions that have been taken. Staff Liaison Mark Kempton responded that Greeley has been leading the efforts in combination with Larimer County, Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed, and Fort Collins, and completed 2-3,000 acres of mulching over the high priority burn areas, with the end goal being about 10,000 acres. Another commissioner asked if there have been any incidences of mulching that have been washed away by any rainstorms. Mr. Kempton responded that there have not been significant instances and added that City staff have been performing pre- and post-inspections to ensure effectiveness. Another commissioner commented that the impact to the watersheds after rain season has ended and winter has passed will be a report they’d like to see in the future. iv. Memo: 2021 Spring Water Quality Update – Upper Cache la Poudre Watershed (meeting packet only) Discussion Highlights Mark Kempton commented that the City has had a really good runoff season. The alkalinity level stayed high this year and thus the City was able to treat a lot more of the Poudre water than normal springs. A commissioner asked how long it took to shut off supply from the river when there’s a rise in sediments like there’s been from recent rain storms. Mr. Kempton answered that it’s instantaneous as it’s automated in a way that is based on WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 08/19/2021 – MINUTES Page 3 measurements that watch the sediment level in the water to shut it off. v. Memo: Voluntary Water Shortage Watch Continuation (meeting packet only) vi. Memo: Halligan Water Supply Project – Quarterly Report and Dam Concepts (meeting packet only; staff available for questions) Discussion Highlights A commissioner inquired if building the secondary dam necessitates demolishing the old one. Project Manager Eileen Dornfest replied that it would be partially to fully demolished depending on mitigation needs or water quality purposes. Another commissioner was curious whether there had been much push back on the new plans, to which Ms. Dornfest responded that there has not been any significant resistance to it, further commenting that the discussions with the Water Commission had prepared for clarification and better messaging. vii. Drinking Water Quality Policy Annual Report and Consumer Confidence Report (meeting packet only; staff available for questions) Discussion Highlights A commissioner inquired about the effects to energy efficiency from producing higher quality water. Water Production Technical Services Supervisor Gregg Stonecipher responded that there is some energy efficiency gain as plant production rises. The plant is constructed with a modular design, allowing portions of it to be turned off to save energy. He added that the plant’s energy usage is well below the national AWWA benchmark. The quality does degrade, however, as the plant is pushed or strained for production. Another commissioner commented about the recent trend of the aging of operators and the need for younger staff, which Mr. Kempton agreed the City is also experiencing. Mr. Stonecipher commented that in prior decades there were upwards of 400 applicants for a position and they had the luxury of hiring only from a pool of applicants holding certifications, but today, there are about a dozen applicants per opening, all uncertified. Another commissioner asked what the City is doing to retain the current staff, to which Mr. Kempton responded that the pay level is high, as well as offering differentials for shifts. Another commissioner referred to the WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 08/19/2021 – MINUTES Page 4 Source Water Spill Response Plan and asked if it included watersheds, GIS risk analysis, industrial facilities, etc. Mr. Kempton responded that they had consultants who did full assessments on the watersheds to identify any potential pollution sources, as well as spill modeling to achieve ideal flow rates. Poudre Fire Authority’s hazmat team is also tied into the response plan, as well as the sheriff’s office. Another commissioner inquired about the number of full-time employees (FTEs) in the plants and whether their status as critical employees changes their expectations or standards from other employees of Utilities who are not considered needed on site. Mr. Kempton responded there were 32 FTEs and that there have been some conversations, but one change made was the staggering of operators throughout the day, which ended up being advantageous to their production. There is currently no plans in the budget to increase the number of FTEs. viii. Cash-in-Lieu Rate for Water Supply Requirements Water Resources Manager Donnie Dustin presented on proposed rate changes to address uncertainties in the water supply development brought on by climate change, dwindling supplies, and changing growth. The proposed rate changes would apply only to new developments and re- developments within the Fort Collins Utilities water service area. Discussion Highlights A commissioner asked what the supply requirement amount was for a single- family home. Mr. Dustin responded that it was about 0.31 of an acre-foot. A commissioner inquired if it seemed fair to increase the fee almost two-and-a- half fold for restaurants, which were entities impacted significantly by the pandemic, but Mr. Dustin assured that this rate change applies only for new and re-developments and will not apply to current restaurants who have additional struggles from the pandemic. Interim Water Conservation Manager Abbye Neel added that the current allotment isn’t large enough to cover restaurant use, and so in addressing the excess water use surcharge when developers don’t satisfy enough water supply requirement, customers are burdened by excess water use fees. Another commissioner asked if there have been any discussions related to affordability, as it seems the conversation should be about saving costs. Mr. Dustin responded that Fort Collins isn’t the only one seeing a rise in costs, and that other organizations along the Front Range are also experiencing this trend brought on by circumstances, e.g. water rights costs, the Halligan Project, the Northern Integrated Supply Project, etc., thus raising the need to seek other opportunities to reduce costs for affordability. Another commissioner inquired about the projection strategy for developments in relation to water WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 08/19/2021 – MINUTES Page 5 requirements. Mr. Dustin responded that they used to estimate projected needs simply by looking at population times the per capita use rate. How they’re projecting now is much more connected to the reality and community needs, as it looks at densities, types of developments, and projected developments in the future. A commissioner commented that it will be difficult but necessary work and encouraged Mr. Dustin in this work. Another commissioner asked about a comparison to Colorado-Big Thompson (CBT) shares. Mr. Dustin answered that while CBT’s cost of a reliable firm yield share is $120,000 per acre-foot, developers would find it a better deal with the $68,000 per acre-foot outlined in the Cash-in-Lieu rate. Another commissioner asked if there’s a way to quantify climate change seeing, for example, a 166% increase in rates in 2017. Mr. Dustin assured the commissioner that these are the next steps to take to integrate findings to see what the best strategies are and to walk through it with the community. He added that if the City doesn’t make changes to how water is used, then climate change will certainly increase costs. Another commissioner inquired if there is any value in looking at the watershed as a part of the infrastructure. Mr. Dustin responded that there certainly is value for watershed management to avoid certain kinds of impacts. b. Regular Items (Attachments available upon request) i. Water Supply Requirement Update Interim Water Conservation Manager Abbye Neel presented the final changes to Water Supply Requirements calculations prior to going to Council in September of 2021. This presentation will build upon the presentation to the Water Board in October of 2020, update provided in April of 2021, and follow-up work session in June of 2021. The presentation will focus on final outcomes and results from stakeholder outreach. Discussion Highlights A commissioner inquired if fire response services are a separate tap and unrelated. Ms. Neel responded that they’d have to have a separate fire line or an adequate tap size that meets fire standards. Another commissioner inquired if irrigation water taps for multifamily and commercial uses will be separately metered. Ms. Neel responded that it will be required to provide a separate tap, but there is a minimum use of 30,000 gallons per year to require it. Another commissioner inquired if we retain the 1.92 multiplier. Ms. Neel responded that it would be removed as they’ve found other calculations to be more precise. Commissioner Ortman moved that the Water Commission supports the WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 08/19/2021 – MINUTES Page 6 proposed changes in code and the Water Supply Requirement updates as proposed by Staff. Commissioner Tarry seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously 7-0. Commissioner Herman abstained as he has residential lots under contract in the ELCO district as well as LOIs for lots in Fort Collins. 7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS None 8. OTHER BUSINESS Commissioner Tarry inquired if any of the commissioners had attended the call in regarding the hiring of a new Executive Director. Staff Liaison Mark Kempton agreed to follow up to see if there had been a recording of the discussion. 9. ADJOURNMENT 7:20 p.m. These minutes were approved by the Water Commission on September 16, 2021.