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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Commission - MINUTES - 03/21/2024 WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING March 21, 2024, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Hybrid in person at 222 Laporte Ave and online via Zoom 03/21/2024 – MINUTES Page 1  The Water Commission advises City Council regarding water, wastewater, and stormwater policy issues such as water rights, planning, acquisition and management, conservation and public education, floodplain regulations, storm drainage, and development criteria. Read more at https://www.fcgov.com/cityclerk/boards/water. 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, Tyler Eldridge, Rick Kahn, Greg Steed, Jason Tarry o Commissioner Eldridge entered the meeting at 5:42PM  Commissioners Present via Zoom: None  Commissioners Absent - Excused: John Primsky  Staff Members Present In Person: Jeremy Woolf, John Song, Basil Hamdan, Kathryne Marko, Erik Monahan, Jared Heath, Richard Thorp, Leslie Hill, Gregg Stonecipher  Staff Members Present via Zoom: Jill Oropeza  Members of the Public: None 3. AGENDA REVIEW  Chairperson Jordan Radin briefly summarized items on the agenda 4. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION  None  5. OTHER BUSINESS a. Recognition of Outgoing Commissioners Kent Bruxvoort and Jason Tarry b. City Council appoints new members Nick Martin and Nicole Ng c. Looking ahead: Water Commission officer elections in April d. Natural Areas Master Plan Update 6. APPROVAL OF MINUTES WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 03/21/2024 – MINUTES Page 2  Chairperson Radin asked for comments and revisions on the draft minutes. Commissioner Herman moved to approve the February 15 minutes. Commissioner Bishop seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: it passed unanimously, 7-0 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Staff Reports i. Financial Monthly Report (meeting packet only)  ii. Low Impact Development (LID) Update Basil Hamdan, Stormwater Quality Engineer Staff will update Commissioners on evolving stormwater regulations, namely the policy regarding Low Impact Development and its implementation plans. Discussion Highlights Commissioners commented on or inquired about various related topics including criteria for deciding LID methods for different sites, to which Mr. Hamdan responded that they have an implementation plan that considers multiple factors, including type of development, economics, available space, and appropriate technologies. Commissioners asked about updates since the 2016 policy update; while policy updates must go through the Water Commission and Council, technical amendments can be approved by the Utilities Executive Director. Commissioners commented on examples of maintenance failures and the lessons learned from these projects.   iii. Drinking Water Quality Policy Report Erik Monahan, Senior Supervisor, Water Production This report is designed to fulfill the requirements designated by the City of Fort Collins Water Quality Policy Resolution 93-144. Staff would like to receive feedback from the Commission on how to make the annual report more efficient. Discussion Highlights Commissioners commented on or inquired about various related topics including what the requirements are from the City, EPA, and other regulations WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 03/21/2024 – MINUTES Page 3  that must be included in the report, but Gregg Stonecipher, Director of Plant Operations, shared that the policy only states that a report must be produced, but it does not list specific requirements, so it is ultimately up to the Water Commission and the Council who are the intended audience. Commissioners commented on the attraction of the infographics but would like to see less burden on staff members in putting together a report that many who read it may not have the technical expertise to understand its contents. Commissioners acknowledge that there are many levels of value, and Mr. Stonecipher added that a lot of the contents are duplicative to the information that can also be found in the Utilities annual report as well. Staff may return with a revised version to compare to the previous report structure.   b. Regular Items i. Agreement Regarding the Poudre Water Supply Infrastructure Wildfire Ready Action Plan Jared Heath, Senior Specialist, Water Quality Services The Cities of Fort Collins and Greeley and Water Supply and Storage Company are seeking grant funding through the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s Wildfire Ready Watersheds Program to develop a Wildfire Ready Action Plan (WRAP). Discussion Highlights Commissioners commented on or inquired about various related topics including the City’s relationships, opportunities, and shared resources with key stakeholders such as the United States Forest Service (USFS), on whose land these actions will take place, as well as funding sources and long-term monetary benefits. Commissioners inquired and discussed the plans for program’s implementations with the grant, such as changing meadow landscape that would benefit the watershed without making direct changes to the ditch. Commissioners commented on establishing a relationship with USFS with expediency to leverage resources. Commissioner Bruxvoort moved that the Water Commission recommend City Council formally approve of Utilities’ Watershed Program entering into the Agreement Regarding the Poudre Water Supply Infrastructure Wildfire Ready Action Plan.  The Commission proposed to amend the motion to include: Additionally, the Commission acknowledges that the subject lands are owned WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 03/21/2024 – MINUTES Page 4  by US Forest Service and that the USFS is already engaged in wildfire planning and funding activities. It is the Commissions’ opinion that the City should engage USFS as soon as practical. Commissioner Tarry seconded the amended motion. Vote on the Motion: it passed unanimously, 8-0   8. COMMISSIONER REPORTS  a. None  9. ADJOURNMENT 7:35 p.m. These minutes were approved by the Water Commission on April 18, 2024.