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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Commission - Minutes - 08/17/2023 WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING August 17, 2023, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Hybrid in person at 222 LaPorte Ave and online via Zoom 08/17/2023 – MINUTES Page 1 1. CALL TO ORDER 5:31 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL • Commissioners Present In Person: Jordan Radin (Chairperson), Paul Herman (Vice Chairperson), James Bishop, Kent Bruxvoort, Rick Kahn, Jason Tarry • Commissioners Present via Zoom: None • Commissioners Absent - Excused: Tyler Eldridge, Greg Steed, John Primsky • Staff Members Present In Person: Jason Graham, Jill Oropeza, Mariel Miller, Kendra Boot, Katie Collins, Kathryne Marko, Jen Dial • Staff Members Present via Zoom: Michael Neale, Danielle Reimanis • Members of the Public: None 3. AGENDA REVIEW • Chairperson Jordan Radin briefly summarized items on the agenda. 4. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION: None 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Chairperson Radin asked for comments on the draft minutes. There were none. Commissioner Jason Tarry moved to approve the July 20 minutes. Vice Chairperson Paul Herman seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: it passed unanimously, 6-0 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Staff Reports i. Financial Monthly Report (meeting packet only) Discussion Highlights Commissioners commented on or inquired about various related topics including decreased water sales due to all the rain this year, rates, landscaping, conservation, raw water sales, wastewater, the dilemma of encouraging customers to conserve water versus the need to sell water to maintain revenue to meet expenses that have increased due to inflation, WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 08/17/2023 – MINUTES Page 2 regionalization, Northern Colorado Water Alliance, and agriculture. ii. 2023 Spring Water Quality Update-Upper Cache la Poudre Watershed (meeting packet only) Discussion Highlights Commissioners commented on or inquired about various related topics including stabilization and the watershed getting back to normal after wildfires, need for telling the story of wildfire mitigation, water quality, Big Thompson River, thunderstorms, more grass and food resulting from higher than average amount of rain this year. iii. 2023 City of Fort Collins Floodplain Management Public Information Annual Report (meeting packet only) Discussion Highlights Commissioners commented on or inquired about various related topics including report completed due to state requirements; floodplain discussions. iv. Water Resources Quarterly Report (meeting packet only; no presentation; staff available for questions) Discussion Highlights Staff members Water Resources Manager Jen Dial and Water Resources Engineer Michael Neale were present for questions. Commissioners commented on or inquired about various related topics including use of Horsetooth Reservoir water (Colorado-Big Thompson Project: https://www.northernwater.org/what-we-do/deliver-water/colorado-big- thompson-project ) due to torrential rains affecting Poudre River water (turbidity); low demand due to amount of rain this year; full reservoirs; North Poudre Irrigation Company and ability to rent but no demand; continued high water level going into the winter months; and Lake Granby and water level for Western Slope communities. v. Water Utilities Quarterly Update Director of Water Utilities Jason Graham summarized staff's Water Supply Requirements presentation to City Council work session last week and Council’s comments on the related topic of the proposed increase of Excess Water Use Fee for development and redevelopment based on the consultant’s recommendation that has been used by other communities. Discussion Highlights Commissioners commented on or inquired about various related topics WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 08/17/2023 – MINUTES Page 3 including increased water treatment costs and Halligan Water Supply Project costs due to inflation; the increase in value of the City’s water rights portfolio; community engagement plans by Water Utilities, Customer Connections, and other City staff; Mr. Graham’s upcoming presentation to the local chamber of commerce’s legislative committee in September; the significant proposed increase for commercial customers and developers; significant increased costs per share of Colorado-Big Thompson Project; staff plans for more analysis of the variables and methodology; comparisons to East Larimer County Water District (ELCO) water supply requirements; One Water philosophy (all water has value); regionalization; affordable housing development; cost of water as a component of the purchase price of a home; Mr. Graham, Mayor Jeni Arndt and City Councilmembers went on an Aug. 16 tour of the Chimney Hollow Reservoir Project ( https://www.northernwater.org/what-we-do/plan-for-the-future/chimney- hollow-reservoir-project ) managed by Northern Water for 12 northeastern Colorado water providers. b. Regular Items i. Landscape Standards Code Update Environmental Regulatory Affairs Manager Kathryne Marko, Water Conservation Specialist Katie Collins, and Senior Manager-Forestry Kendra Boot, presented a summary of proposed updates and asked Water Commission for feedback on and support of the proposed changes. Staff from the three divisions are working on three Council Priorities (#14, 19, 28: https://www.fcgov.com/council/#cb-46214-6083 related to soil, xeriscaping/landscaping, and tree protection that are interrelated and provide a holistic environmental and community benefit. This landscape improvement team is working to promote water efficiency, and healthy and resilient landscapes throughout Fort Collins. Staff sought feedback last winter from Water Commissioners on concepts and in this presentation outlined draft code revisions to the Municipal Code (Chapters 12 and 26) and Land Use Code 3.2.1 and 3.8.21 ( https://www.fcgov.com/cityclerk/codes ). The proposed program improvements include code updates for best practices for new residential and commercial development and significant redevelopment; definitions of standards for soil compaction and soil quality; and removing barriers for considering existing soil and vegetation establishment, as well as a proposal to implement a comprehensive field WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 08/17/2023 – MINUTES Page 4 inspection program because soil loosening and amendments are fundamental to a healthy and resilient landscape and take significant effort to redo after the fact. Staff has engaged in several Boards and Commissions presentations to gather and present feedback at the Oct. 10 Council work session and to prepare for the ordinance first reading at the Nov. 21 City Council meeting. Discussion Highlights Commissioners commented on or inquired about various related topics including single family home front lawns; artificial turf restrictions; ash trees (prohibited species: not allow to plan new ash trees) and mitigation standards (leave existing ash trees alone if healthy; emerald ash borer mitigation plan); canopy replacement; impact of water supply requirements on existing residential developments that decide to reduce watering due to excess water use fees; nutrient runoff caused by watering turf in the sidewalk-to-street area (known as “parkways”), the difficulty of irrigating parkways, and the idea of restricting grass in these locations (staff postponing this opportunity for various reasons including location of utilities); City has the opportunity to lead the way and model eliminating turf grass and implementing xeriscaping on City properties; and acknowledging details to be determined: landscaping permit or submitting plans during development review process for large developments, and placing the onus on the builder; affordable housing; owner of private property that is not currently in development review process can remove tree – healthy or diseased - without penalty; staff exploration of heritage tree program idea; use of rock on steep slopes and whether there are potential benefits (staff mentioned minimum requirements that may prohibit rock in such scenarios); irrigated turf grass requirements; native grasses outside City building at 222 Laporte Ave.; turf grass blended species marketed as requiring less water, such as Enviroturf brand, and people’s tendency to water any grass that looks like Kentucky bluegrass in the same way; commissioner suggestion to separate residential homes of four bedrooms and nonresidential, and related question of reason for distinguishing homes by bedroom number versus lot; City has its own streetscape standards; City public tree inventory for the purpose of tree preservation; suggestion for minimum requirements for signage with phone number to report wasted water due to broken or malfunctioning sprinklers and irrigation systems, etc. Staff will work with City Attorney’s Office on feedback from boards and commissions presentations to incorporate suggestions into proposed code updates before the Oct. 10 Council work session. WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 08/17/2023 – MINUTES Page 5 Utilities Deputy Director-Customer Connections Gretchen Stanford stated that staff could return to Water Commission to provide an update and final draft of proposed updates ahead of the ordinance first reading at the Nov. 21 Council meeting. Staff later confirmed they will present the update at the Nov. 16 Water Commission meeting. Commissioners offered feedback and general support, and agreed (1) staff has done a fantastic job on the proposed revisions (2) to postpone a recommendation to Council to a future meeting. 7. COMMISSIONER REPORTS: None 8. OTHER BUSINESS a. U.S. Water Alliance’s One Water Summit Water Senior Staff members (Director of Water Jason Graham, Senior Director- Water Sciences & Planning Jill Oropeza, and Senior Director-Water Operations Jeremy Woolf) are scheduled to attend the summit in November: https://uswateralliance.org/events. Fort Collins Utilities is the alliance’s first Water Equity Network member in Colorado: https://uswateralliance.org/waterequitynetwork b. Boards and Commissions Super Issues Meeting on Monday, Dec. 4 Staff will give presentations on Halligan Water Supply Project and Water Efficiency Plan at the event to be held at the Lincoln Center. Purpose is to provide boards and commissions members with information on important projects and topics impacting the community. 9. ADJOURNMENT 7:37 p.m. These minutes were approved by the Water Commission on Oct. 19, 2023.