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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Board - Minutes - 10/16/2014Water Board Minutes October 16, 2014 1 Fort Collins Utilities Water Board Minutes Thursday, October 16, 2014 Water Board Chairperson City Council Liaison Steve Malers, 484-1954 Wade Troxell, 219-8940 Water Board Vice Chairperson Staff Liaison Rebecca Hill, 402-1713 Carol Webb, 221-6231 Roll Call Board Present Chairperson Steve Malers, Vice Chairperson Rebecca Hill, Board Members Brett Bovee, Brian Brown, Michael Brown, Lori Brunswig, Duncan Eccleston, Alex Maas, Andrew McKinley, and Phyllis Ortman Board Absent Board Member Heidi Huber-Stearns Staff Present Carol Webb, Donnie Dustin, Susan Strong, and Michele Scalva Staff Absent Carrie Daggett and Eric Potyondy Guests Eric Waring and Andrew Keats, CSU students Meeting Convened Chairperson Malers called the meeting to order at 5:30 PM. Public Comment  Eric Waring stated he was a third year student at CSU in Natural Resource Management with a minor in Water Shed Science. By attending the meeting, he was participating in an immersion activity for his public relations course. He thanked the Board for being able to attend and listen. Approval of September 18, 2014 Minutes Chairperson Malers asked for a motion to approve the September 18 meeting minutes. Board Member McKinley stated he abstained in approval of the August 21 meeting minutes and requested a change in the September 18 meeting minutes to reflect this. Chairperson Malers requested his name be removed from the first sentence on page 2 under “City Council Agenda Review” in the September 18 minutes because he was not in attendance at the meeting. The sentence actually referred to a conversation Chairperson Malers, Vice Chairperson Hill, and Ms. Webb had in preparation for the board meeting. Chairperson Malers later agreed to the following language rather than removing his name: “In a conversation to prepare for the board meeting, Chairperson Malers and Vice Chairperson Hill had asked Interim Water Treatment & Operations Manager Carol Webb to add a staff report on Council agenda review to board meetings, to give notice on upcoming water-related issues at Council meetings.” With the two stated changes to the September meeting minutes, Board Member Brown moved to approve the minutes of the September 18, 2014 meeting. Board Member Ortman seconded the motion. Water Board Minutes October 16, 2014 2 Vote on the motion: It passed unanimously *Chairperson Malers and Board Members Brunswig, Eccleston and Maas abstained due to being absent at the September meeting. Staff Reports Monthly Water Resources Report Hard copies of the October 2014 Water Resources Division Staff Report were provided to Board members. Water Resources Manager Donnie Dustin stated there were not many updates to the Water Supply Report due to the end of irrigation season. September 2014 water demand was well below projections at 83% of the anticipated demand. For the calendar year, water demand is at 89% of the projected demand. The September 13 freeze is the earliest fall freeze on date since 1974. Poudre River stream flows are still fairly high. Total river diversions in September were 120% of the amount averaged during the five years preceding the High Park Fire (2007-2011). Construction is starting on the Horsetooth pipeline next week, which will impact water flow operations. The water storage for CBT reservoirs is good at 92% full capacity. The 2015 water supply is anticipated to be good. Discussion Highlights  Chairperson Malers asked Mr. Dustin to comment on El Nino/La Nina. Mr. Dustin stated he will look into it and report back. Halligan Reservoir Hard copies of the Halligan Reservoir Enlargement Project Third Quarter 2014 Report were provided to Board members. Mr. Dustin stated they had been working on alternatives for the project by collaborating with the U.S. Corps of Engineers and modeling water resource options. The City is still looking at the Draft Environmental Impact Statement coming out in early 2016. Discussion Highlights  A board member inquired about why they would need to acquire the existing agricultural reservoirs instead of leasing space to store water. Mr. Dustin stated they are studying the use of water whether it is purchased, acquired or leased. The City is unsure about leasing unless it was a perpetual agreement. What is needed is a back-up supply in case an existing water resource is not accessible.  A board member asked if a severe drought occurred would the Corps have any liability since they have postponed work for 12 years. Mr. Dustin stated he did not know specifically, but would guess that they do not have any liability. He added that the City follows drought water store guidelines to be adequately prepared for drought situations.  Mr. Dustin reiterated that the report includes Corps-determined water alternatives and they have the right to change them. The alternatives are existing reservoirs. City Council Agenda Review Interim Water Treatment & Operations Manager Carol Webb reported the following: Annexation of Clydesdale Park HOA: As follow-up to a September meeting discussion, the City can refund some or all of the HOA money back. Water Board Minutes October 16, 2014 3 The Utilities Administration Building proposal: Ms. Webb provided a summary of Council activity in reviewing the proposal. The proposal was approved by Council at its first reading and will proceed to a second reading at the October 21 meeting. The Climate Action Plan: It will be reviewed at the Council Work Session on October 28 and will be voted on February 17, 2015. Ms. Webb will coordinate with Environmental Services Director Lucinda Smith to have a presentation of the Climate Action Plan for the Water Board Work Session in December. Halligan Update: The City is presenting a report titled “The Water Supply Reliability and Storage Update” on March 10 at the Council Work Session. The report will first be presented to the Water Board. Discussion Highlights:  Chairperson Malers stated a community member asked him about a Prospect Station Project that is part of the Urban Renewal Authority. Ms. Webb will follow-up and report back to the board.  Chairperson Malers asked if the board’s support of the Budgeting for Outcomes (BFO) offers is complete. Ms. Webb stated Council received the Water Board’s memo in their work packet. First reading for the budget is October 21 and Water Board members are welcome to attend the meeting to voice support.  A board member inquired about a follow-up on oil and gas litigation and requested an update on the fracking health and property values study. Ms. Webb agreed to follow-up on the requests and report back to the board. Ms. Webb stated that Eric Potyondy, the new City water attorney, will attend Water Board meetings and can assist with these types of inquires. Annual MS4 Update Presentation (Attachments available upon request) Environmental Regulation Specialist Susan Strong gave the presentation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires the City to have a discharge permit for storm water and its associated pollutants. The EPA requires six different programs called “minimum control measures” to minimize the discharge of pollutants. Ms. Strong referenced the water report written by Utilities Environmental Services Manager Keith Elmund, Ph. D., City of Fort Collins, and provided this link: http://www.fcgov.com/utilites/img/site_specific/uploads/2013 _PoudreStormwater_WQ_Rpt_29July2014_Final.pdf Presentation Highlights: The City of Fort Collins Program Areas: 1. Public Education and Outreach: includes the WaterSHED Program, Storm Water Business Outreach and Storm Drain Marketing program. 2. Public Outreach and Participation: includes Staff speaking to City boards and commissions. 3. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination: In 2013 the City responded to 46 spill complaint calls. The Utilities Department trains businesses and City field staff (such as Streets, Traffic, etc.) on clean-up measures and the products most likely to spill into storm drains. 4. Construction Site Storm Water Run-off Control: Developers are required to minimize pollutants from run-off. Inspection is required for any construction site more than 10,000 square feet of land-based disturbance. The State and City have different systems for inspection and both are Water Board Minutes October 16, 2014 4 required. Fort Collins development has increased, resulting in an increase in inspections. There are specific standards that must be meet for removing pollutants before initial building permits are even granted, which supports development starting properly. Penalties for non-compliance include verbal warnings, the City stopping construction, holding Certificates of Occupancy and fines. 5. Post-Construction Storm Water Management: inspection and maintenance of proper storm water flows around developed land. 6. Municipal Operations: includes in-house training of City staff. Ms. Strong reviewed the following regulatory updates: 1. EPA deferred rulemaking to strengthen the Storm Water Program and instead is pursuing other approaches such as incentives to encourage Storm Water Program development and compliance. 2. Definitions of Waters of the U. S. Ruling: the proposed rule addresses the scope of waters protected under the Clean Water Act. Fort Collins is collaborating with other organizations and municipal governments to gather and write comments, and the City’s internal work group will follow up with the City Attorney’s Office to decide if they will submit formal comments. In response to a board member, Ms. Strong stated the U.S. Corps of Engineers decides what is jurisdictional. 3. Storm Water Management and Colorado Water Rights: reviewed infiltration and augmentation issues in the State. For more information, visit link: http://www.udfcd.org/downloads/pdf/tech_papers/UDFCD_Positions_on_Water_Rights_and_Re gional_Detention.pdf. 4. Colorado Water Quality Control Division: MS4 Permit renewal extended until 2015. Once renewed, it is a five-year permit. 5. Program Challenges: proposed regulatory changes, volume of construction inspections, New MS4 permit requirements and LID BMP installation inspections. 6. Opportunities for Improvement: grading sediment and erosion control permit and post- construction program modification. Ms. Strong mentioned interests in having developers pay the costs of inspection and permit fees, which are currently funded by rate payers. By requiring developers to cover the costs, the City may be able to fund additional staff for the increased work load.  A board member inquired about payment of penalties instead of adding fees. Ms. Webb responded by explaining the difficulty in enforcing penalty payments. The City is trying to establish sediment and erosion control through the development process and have developers be more accountable for installation.  A board member inquired about inspection a year or more after installation. Ms. Strong stated there are inspections done by the City to ensure correct installation. She stated the State has an annual report concerning construction inspections and different enforcement measures. Ms. Strong referred Board members to Keith Elmund’s report for water quality information (link listed above). Strategic Alignment of Water Board 2015 Work Plan Discussion (Attachments available upon request) Staff Liaison Carol Webb distributed copies of the City’s Strategic Objectives and focused on the outcome areas the Water Board most strongly aligns with, and the City’s 2015-2016 Strategic Plan Summary. Water Board Minutes October 16, 2014 5 City board staff liaisons are being requested to work with their respective boards to align board work plans with the City’s Strategic Plan’s Seven Key Outcome Areas. Ms. Webb’s presentation was to give Water Board Members a foundation of the City’s plan and interests, and prepare the board to create their 2015 Work Plan that aligns with the City’s Strategic Plan. Ms. Webb’s presentation reviewed how the City’s Strategic Plan was developed, the process by which the City took public input, the guiding principles around plan development and how the work of City Boards fits into the plan. The presentation information came from an effort led by the Community and Public Involvement Office, City Manager’s Office and the Chief Financial Officer and is driven by budget priorities, allocation of money and metrics. The information looks at how to focus resources that are important to the City and community at large. The City’s Strategic Plan Summary included information from the Community Dashboard of Outcome Metrics. This is on the City website and is updated on a quarterly basis. Data is stored in a City internal database. The metrics were defined by Staff members and presented to Council for feedback. Each BFO offer had to have a metric attached to it. A board member stated the water metric was not included in the Dashboard data, specifically the Gallons Per Capita Per Day (GPCD). Ms. Webb stated the GPCD is an annual number and is not included on the Dashboard because it lists quarterly data. Adopting a board Work Plan has been delayed to December due to the new approach instituted by the City. Ms. Webb will provide information about what Staff has identified as goals and priorities for the next year and other data input needed to develop the Water Board Work Plan. Discussion Highlights:  Chairperson Malers reviewed the 2014 Work Plan and asked Ms. Webb how the board could adjust the format for the 2015 year. Ms. Webb stated to align the Water Board goals and activities with the City’s Strategic Plan and outcomes, and to include how the board can support policy development. Chairperson Malers shared ideas for documenting alignment of the Water Board Work Plan to the City’s Plan. Chairperson Malers proposed that he, Vice Chairperson Hill and Ms. Webb begin to address the 2015 Water Board Work Plan.  Chairperson Malers asked board members for feedback regarding 2015 Work Plan development. Board Members and Ms. Webb discussed options for changes in the Work Plan. There was additional discussion about how to prepare board members for the coming year’s work that allows them to provide substantive input to the City.  Chairperson Malers proposed that the Water Board use the December Work Session to focus on aligning the 2015 Work Plan with City outcomes, and then present it at the December regular meeting. He asked board members for feedback.  A board member addressing Ms. Webb stated he appreciated the Water Board being allowed to weigh in on the water utilization issues that were addressed in the last year, and expressed interest in a planning and process format between the City and the Water Board that continued to support this type of connection and interaction. Two additional board members stated agreement with this suggestion.