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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009 - Water Board - Annual Report1 FORT COLLINS WATER BOARD 2009 Annual Report Water Board Members Gina C. Janett, Chair Johannes Gessler Retiring members: Steve Balderson, Vice Chair Phil Phelan Doug Yadon Brian Brown David Pillard John Bartholow Mike Connor Reagan Waskom Eileen Dornfest Gary Wockner Duncan Eccleston Action Items Stormwater Program Re‐purposing During 2009, the Board had quite a few action items, most of which were related to the re‐purposing of the Stormwater Program. 1. Best Management Policy/Practices Update (LID, Watershed Planning) The Board is very supportive of the City moving forward on watershed planning and implementation of Best Management Practices. The Board voted to recommend that the City: • Develop a process to improve the overall Stormwater Program; • Focus on watershed planning; • Establish a citizen review committee; • Update the master plan to define best management practices, including Low Impact Development, and to include a timeline, budget for changes and how the changes fit into the program; and • Establish a long‐term monitoring program, including impact and feedback. 2. Detention Pond Construction/Landscape Guidelines and Standards The Water Board reviewed the draft document before and after the stakeholders and public outreach meetings, and the Board voted unanimously to recommend that Council adopt the final draft. 3. Stormwater Master Plans The item that garnered the most discussion by the Board and which dominated both a special work session in September and the regular October meeting was the Stormwater Master Plans and the methodology for choosing projects to be constructed. The discussions included issues relating to the capital projects, how they were selected and their impact on rates. There was concern that the Benefit to Cost (B‐C) Ratio used wasn’t high enough. As a result of these discussions, the Board recommended the following: a. that staff change to using the triple bottom line (TBL) philosophy of social, economic, and environmental components to determine flood control and stream enhancement projects. In this scenario, the numeric B‐C ratio plays a smaller role in determining capital projects and projects can be recommended based on factors without a numerical value. (Vote: 9 Yeas, 1 Nay) 2 b. that staff should research appropriate and applicable methodologies tor evaluating the social and environmental impacts, both positive and negative, of capital projects. (Vote: unanimous in favor) c. that staff should evaluate the B‐C criteria as a part of the TBL approach. (Vote: unanimous in favor) 4. Level of Protection The Board voted against a motion to change the Level of Protection (LOP) that should be used when either the City or private property owners build. The consensus was the Board is satisfied with the current 100‐year LOP. 5. Stream Corridor Enhancements Funding The Board reviewed the possibility of using stormwater funds to enhance stream corridors and voted unanimously to recommend to City Council that partial or entire stream corridor enhancements can be funded by the Stormwater Capital Improvement Program based on prioritization through the TBL analysis. 6. Cost Sharing for Properties Removed from Floodplain The Board recognizes that some properties receive a large economic benefit from City capital projects to reduce the size of the floodplain at the rate‐payers’ expense. The Board unanimously recommended to City Council that a new cost share method for properties removed from the floodplain by a City capital project be created to reflect a portion of the benefit to that property. 7. Stormwater Utility Fees The Board acknowledged that it is difficult to make a recommendation on what the monthly fees should be until after the Council deliberates on the TBL approach to Master Planning. The Board recommended that stormwater monthly fees be revisited following the completion of the Stormwater Master Plan update. (Vote: unanimous in favor) 8. Floodplain Regulations The City’s floodplain regulations are very detailed and complex, and have been modified multiple times over the years. The Board narrowed its focus to several items of concern and made the following recommendations: a. that the Poudre River floodplain regulations be reviewed to prohibit residential or mixed use structural development on LOMR‐Fills. (Vote: unanimous in favor) b. that the Poudre River floodplain regulations be studied to not allow any structures in the 100‐year floodplain. (Vote: unanimous in favor) c. that the Poudre River Floodplain regulations be revised to adopt a 0.1 foot rise floodway. (Vote: 6 Yeas, 2 Nays) Other Action Items In addition to the many stormwater repurposing items, the Board made recommendations on: • Denial of a floodplain variance to waive the variance fee; 3 • Support for the staff to investigate the possibilities of providing wastewater treatment services to the Boxelder Sanitation District and water treatment capacity for the Tri‐Districts; • Support for providing out of city water and sewer service to the Midori Subdivision; • Support for an IGA with the Fort Collins‐Loveland Water District to establish the district as a consecutive public water system; • Support for proposed raw water rental rates and delivery charges; • Support for extending the lease for the Larimer Ditch #2 across city property; and • Support for adoption of the updated Water Conservation Plan (not yet formally adopted by Council). Presentations The Board heard presentations and held discussions on the following topics: • Stormwater quality sampling program • MS4 Municipal Separated Storm Sewer Permit Annual Report • BMP’s for City and HOA stormwater facilities • Budgeting for Outcomes and the 2010‐11 Budget • Gravel pit water storage • Halligan and Windy Gap Firming Projects status • Stream habitat assessments process (CSU research) • Regulation 38 which is making water classifications for the Poudre and South Platte Rivers more stringent with potential impacts on the wastewater treatment facilities • Shared Visioning Process for review of the preferred Halligan‐Seaman reservoir expansions • Refunding of water bonds • Northern Colorado Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan Update • Update on the Chronic Wasting Disease research findings • Updates from the Water Supply, Engineering, Water Conservation and Public Education, Legislation, Financial and Liaison, and Instream Flow Committees 2010 Activities The Board has a challenging work plan for 2010 with a review and update of the Water Supply and Demand Management Policy and continued work on stormwater action items as the top issues. It is also hoped that there will be recommendations forthcoming on the preservation and restoration of instream flows to the Poudre River.