Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Board - Minutes - 02/26/2004City Council Liaison David Roy Staff Liaison DeEtta Carr 221-6702 Fort Collins Utilities Water Board Minutes Thursday, February 26, 2004 Water Board Chairman Water Board Vice Chairman Tom Sanders 491-5448 Tom Brown 295-5968 Secretary Leslie Mooney 416-2703 Roll Call: Board Present Ted Borstad, Tom Brown, Bill Fischer, Jim Finley, Gina Janette, Rami Naddy, Tom Sanders, Debra Sweetman and Reagan Waskom. Board Absent John Bartholow and Doug Yadon Guests Ryan Steinbrenner Staff Patty Bigner, Dennis Bode, DeEtta Can, Steve Comstock, Carrie Daggett, Matt Fater, Susan Hayes, Jim Hibbard, Cliff Hoelscher, Brian Janonis, Dave Meyer, Beth Molenaar, Leslie Mooney, Sue Pacquette, Bob Smith, Mike Smith, Susan Smolnik and Dennis Sumner Meeting Convened Chairman Tom Sanders called the meeting to order at 3:10 p.m. Approval of Minutes Chairman Sanders asked for any corrections or amendments to the minutes of the January 22, 2004 meeting. Board member Rami Naddy stated that in the mercury control section, the words "point sources" should be inserted after the word "mercury" on the 16`h line of text. Rami also requested that in the last paragraph of the mercury issue, the words "meet with the Engineering Committee" replace "form a committee of other board members". Board member Tom Brown made a correction on page 4, under "Committee Report," last sentence to replace "Water Supply Committee" with "Legislative, Finance and Liaison Issues Committee." Board member Bill Fischer made a motion, seconded by Board member Rami Naddy to approve the minutes as amended. The motion was unanimously adopted. Water Board Meeting Minutes February 26,2004 Page 2 Introduction of New Board Member Chairman Sanders stated that they have a new member who was not able to attend the last meeting and requested that she tell the board little about herself. Board member Debra Sweetman responded that she is an attorney and her favorite area of law is water law. She taught water law full time at Colorado State University from 1995-2003. She has been a Fort Collins resident for many years, graduated from CSU after finishing her undergraduate and graduate studies. She attended the University of South Carolina to attend law school, and had the opportunity to work with the Water Resources Commission while she was there. Proposed Surplus Water Rental Rates — Dennis Bode Dennis Bode, Water Resources Division Manager, explained that each year prior to the irrigation season, staff proposes rental rates for surplus raw water to the Water Board. This includes rates for agricultural renters, other City departments, and for others for which the City is obligated to deliver raw water. This is done in order to set the rental rates for possible users if and when the supplies become available. Due to the lingering drought, staff is proposing that the water rental rates be separated into two categories this year. The first priority will be to maximize the amount of water to be carried over to 2005. The first category will be the active rental market which will include Colorado Big Thompson Project (CBT), North Poudre Irrigation Company (NPIC), Water Supply and Storage Company (WSSC) and the City's reusable sources (primarily Joe Wright Reservoir or reusable effluent). The proposed rental rates on these sources are based on expected rental market conditions. The other category of rentals will be those with a limited rental market. Some of these users have turned in raw water or have met the water requirements for their properties. The objective of the City for this group is to recover the costs associated with delivering this water. Examples of this type of customer would be City facilities such as parks and golf courses, or other entities that have already met the water requirements. Dennis referred the Board to a table that showed the water assessments for each water source for the past three years and the difference in rates that customers would pay if they have not satisfied the raw water requirements. Board member Tom Brown commented that the rate for water delivered to those that had satisfied a raw water requirement was more of a "delivery charge" than a rental rate. Dennis concurred. Chairman Sanders asked if the City rented from someone else last year and what was the cost. Dennis confirmed that the City rented and traded some water and spent around $900,000 for 5,800 acre feet which enabled the City to carry over plentiful supplies into 2004. He said the cost Water Board Meeting Minutes February 26,2004 Page 3 on some of the water that was rented was as high as $400 per acre foot. Much of it was rented early in the year when water supply projections were low and prices high. Board member Gina Janett asked if the City ever changed the rental rates during the course of the year in response to the market rate changes. Dennis replied that the City has in the past but it has usually happened late in the season when it was obvious that there was a lot of surplus water that would be lost. He said that staff tries not to change the rates but some situations come up when it just makes sense to change them. The Board questioned whether the staff has the flexibility to change the rates when market conditions change. Dennis noted that it would be prudent to have that flexibility and that Note #1 in the rental rates table would allow this to occur. Board member Bill Fischer stated that since he represents the Water Supply and Storage Company he moved that the Water Board recommend that Council approve the 2004 Water Rental charges including the footnote #1, with the exception of the Water Supply and Storage Company. Board member Reagon Waskom seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously. Board member Ted Borstad made a motion, seconded by Board member Rami Naddy to include the rental rate for the Water Supply and Storage Company including the footnote. The motion was approved. Board member Fischer abstained. 2003 Stormwater Master Plan Jim Hibbard, Water Engineering & Field Services Department Manager, stated that the Stormwater Master Plan is a culmination of three years of planning efforts to revise all of the City's Stormwater master plans. He stated that he is looking for a formal recommendation from the Board to Council. He acknowledged the efforts of Susan Hayes, Marsha Hilmes-Robinson, Sue Paquette and Matt Fater. Bob Smith, Planning and Development Manager, gave a presentation summarizing the plan and the process of public outreach to inform property owners of the upcoming changes. He commented that the majority of those that responded to the public outreach wanted the City to build the projects as soon possible, ensure that water quality is part of the capital projects, discourage mosquitoes, keep streams and wetlands natural, not structural. Board member Ted Borstad asked if projects will reduce some of the requests for variances that the Board has been dealing with, specifically in the Lincoln/UMay area. Bob responded that the Oxbow level project, scheduled for construction the winter of 2004-2005, should significantly reduce the floodplain in this area, and therefore, reduce requests for variances. Board member Gina Janett asked what was the status of funding from Latimer County. Jim Hibbard responded that the County was planning to contribute 50 percent of the Dry Creek Water Board Meeting Minutes February 26, 2004 Page 4 project expenses but was unable to come up with a funding mechanism and has since dropped the offer. The City has proceeded with half of the funding and proposed some unique solutions as well as optimized what was originally planned. Jim stated that he felt they have a good chance of accomplishing all of the Dry Creek project with what the City has available but if the City is unsuccessful in meeting all of the objectives with the current funding, then the portions of the project that benefit the County would be abandoned. Jim added that in other basins, the County does have a funding mechanism in place. Board member Reagan Waskom asked how the 100 year flood protection plan would affect an existing rate payer's monthly bill. Jim Hibbard replied that the typical single family residential rate will go up around one dollar a month each year for the next 4 years to about 18 dollars and month and should stay flat for the next 25 years. After all the capital projects are built, it should go down to a maintenance level of approximately 10 dollars a month. Chairman Sanders asked how the projects are prioritized. Jim replied that project prioritization is based on several factors, including the benefit to cost ratio, the number of structures removed from the floodplain, and then the number of reduced road over toppings eliminated. Chairman Sanders asked that since the West Nile Virus has become an issue, has the City has done anything to decrease the habitat for mosquitoes. Jim replied that there is an inherent tension between the water quality benefits and the West Nile detriments in the state storm water permit process, so other than monitoring for mosquito activity and implementing control measures, no significant changes have been made in the master plan. Board member Jim Finley made a motion, seconded by Board member Rami Naddy to recommend that the Water Board adopt staff's recommendation to support the 100-year level of flood protection as proposed in the master plan and recommend that City Council adopt the master plan. The motion was unanimously adopted. Staff Reports • Halligan Reservoir Update Brian Janonis, Water Resources & Treatment Services Manager, stated that the City is negotiating the operations and maintenance agreement with North Poudre Irrigation Company. East Latimer County Water District, Fort Collins Loveland Water District and North Weld County Water District are interested in partnering. Greeley is interested in combining their Seaman project with the City's and making it a regional project. • Treated Water Production Summary Dennis Bode presented some graphs of the current snow pack as compared to 2002 and 2003. He stated that 60 percent of the snow season has passed and continues to be below average in snow pack. Water Board Meeting Minutes February 26,2004 Page 5 Engineering Committee — Amalgam Seuarators Board member Rami Naddy stated that the committee had met with David Meyer, Technical Services Supervisor, and reviewed some of the information regarding reducing mercury discharges with amalgam separators. Dave stated that there are two other programs that have been successful in reducing mercury; one in Toronto, where the mercury being discharged into the treatment plants was lowered from 74% to 45% after amalgam separators were installed in dental offices. The other was in Minnesota which involved two wastewater treatment plants. When amalgam separators were installed in all six dental offices discharging to one plant, the mercury dropped 44% and at the other plant it dropped 29% when seven out of eight dental clinics were equipped with amalgam separators. Rami stated that the Engineering Committee feels the City of Fort Collins should be proactive in solving some of these problems. Studies have shown that installing amalgam separators at point source discharges would be a positive step in reducing the overall mercury concentrations. Board member Tom Brown asked what is the cost of an amalgam separator. Dave Meyer stated it costs between $600 to $1200 per year to purchase or lease and to pay for the mercury recycling. Board member Gina Janett asked what was the enforcement mechanism. Dave replied that the City is already inspecting dental offices every year to control silver discharges and that mercury could easily be included. Board member Rami Naddy made a motion, seconded by Board member Regan Waskom to support staff's recommendation to require amalgam separators in local dental offices and enforce it through the existing program for silver for any dental office working with amalgam removal or replacement. The motion passed unanimously. Other Business • Chairman Sanders mentioned that the water boards of Loveland, Greeley and Fort Collins have an annual Tri City Dinner meeting at the Sylvandale Ranch on May 19, 2004. He requested that as many Water Board members as possible attend because it is a chance to meet other Water Board members from other cities. He asked that those attending contact DeEtta Carr. • Chairman Sanders raised the question regarding having the monthly meetings on Thursday or Friday. The consensus was that the meeting remain on Thursdays • Board member Debra Sweetman requested to be assigned to the Water Supply and Conservation and Public Education Committee. Board member Jim Finley requested to be taken off the Conservation and Public Education Committee and be assigned to the Water Supply Committee instead. Chairman Sanders requested that the Conservation and Public Education Committee meet to elect a chairman before the next Water Board meeting. Water Board Meeting Minutes February 26, 2004 Page 6 Adiournment Board member Rami Naddy made a motion, seconded by Board member Jim Finley to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 4:53 p.m. Leslie Mooney, Water Board S t ary