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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Board - Minutes - 08/17/20171 Water Board Minutes August 17, 2017 Fort Collins Utilities Water Board Minutes Thursday, August 17, 2017 Water Board Chairperson City Council Liaison Brett Bovee, 970-889-0469 Wade Troxell, 970-219-8940 Water Board Vice Chairperson Staff Liaison Kent Bruxvoort, 970-219-2832 Carol Webb, 970-221-6231 ROLL CALL Board Present: Chairperson Brett Bovee, Vice Chairperson Kent Bruxvoort, and Board Members Steve Malers, Jim Kuiken, Phyllis Ortman, Michael Brown, John Primsky, Jason Tarry, and Lori Brunswig. Board Absent: Andrew McKinley and Rebecca Hill. OTHERS PRESENT Staff: Carol Webb, Katherine Martinez, Randy Reuscher, Justin Fields, Susan Strong, Kevin Gertig, Kurt Vanatta, Chandler Arellano, Cindy Farnes, Jon Haukaas, Gregg Stonecipher, Norm Mill, Basil Hamdan, Matt Zoccali, Jesse Schlam, Jim Carder, and consultant Tyler Dell/Colorado Stormwater Center. Members of the Public: None. Meeting Convened Chairperson Bovee called the meeting to order at 5:31 p.m. Public Comment None Approval of July 20, 2017 Board Meeting Minutes Board Member Michael Brown moved to approve the July 20, 2017 meeting minutes. Board Member Kent Bruxvoort seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: It passed unanimously 6-0 with 3 abstentions. Board Members John Primsky, Jason Tarry, and Lori Brunswig abstained due to their absence at the July meeting. Staff Reports Water Resources Monthly Report (meeting packet only) (Attachments available upon request) Drinking Water Quality Policy Annual Report (Attachments available upon request) Water Production Manager Mark Kempton and Technical Services Supervisor/ Water Treatment Facility Gregg Stonecipher presented the two annual reports required by state and City Council policies. 2016 Drinking Water Quality Report is produced annually as a requirement by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, www.colorado.gov/cdphe; there were 2 Water Board Minutes August 17, 2017 no violations for water quality. This spring, staff had one minor Tier 3 violation for testing for the wrong chlorine for two months or so; the water was never unsafe to drink. The public was notified, and this incident will be mentioned in next year’s report. Drinking Water Quality Policy Annual Report is produced annually in response to a 1993 policy by City Council to ensure continuous delivery of high quality drinking water to Fort Collins Utilities’ customers. An infographic summarizing the two reports is available at www.fcgov.com/utilities/what-we-do Discussion Highlights Board members inquired about various related topics, including whether the 1993 policy is still good (Mr. Kempton answered affirmatively and mentioned plans to review and update the policy, and expand on sections, such as watershed monitoring and protection); use of the Pleasant Valley Pre-Sedimentation Basin during runoff; the Community Dashboard data released this week by the City’s Budget Office; the infographic summarizing the reports, and cross- referencing water metrics with progress on projects and goals; and annual number of miles of water main surveyed for leaks in 2015 compared to 2016. New Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit Requirements and Permanent Stormwater Control Measures Program (Attachments available upon request) Environmental Regulatory Specialist Susan Strong summarized staff’s compliance schedule for fulfilling all MS4 permit requirements through 2020, including the Stormwater Criteria Manual and Low Impact Development (LID) Manual. MS4 programs include: Public Education and Outreach, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Construction Sites, Post-Construction Stormwater Management, Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations. Ms. Strong stated she will return to Water Board in the future to provide updates and also request board recommendations for City Council approval of items such as municipal code updates. Discussion Highlights Board members inquired about various related topics including: post-construction stormwater management; water quality; long-term operation and maintenance, and the inspection program, which has an emphasis on education and information; and working with home owners associations, developers, and property management companies. City Code Update to Cross-Connection Control Manual (Attachments available upon request) Updates were presented by Water Engineering Field Operations Manager Jon Haukaas, Cross Connection Control Technician Norm Mill, and Distribution Superintendent Jim Carder. The Manual was last updated in 2002, although staff reviewed it in 2008. The purpose of the 2017 update is a general update of technical language and criteria, and alignment with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The new third edition final document will be published on the Development section of the City’s website (page link: http://www.fcgov.com/utilities/business/builders-and-developers/development-forms-guidelines- regulations) (document link: http://www.fcgov.com/utilities/img/site_specific/uploads/crossconnection.pdf ), and also available at the City Clerk’s Office. Discussion Highlights 3 Water Board Minutes August 17, 2017 Board members commented on or inquired about various related topics including which template staff used for the manual (Mr. Haukaas stated the manual basis is in nationally-accepted practices such as those by the American Water Works Association); and potential main hazards for residential homes. Mr. Haukaas mentioned this is his last Water Board meeting; he has accepted a position as director of public works for a suburb of Minneapolis; the board thanked him for his service to the City. Board Member Steve Malers moved that Water Board recommend approval of the updated 2017 City of Fort Collins Cross-Connection Control Manual. Discussion on the Motion A board member inquired whether the manual applies to the Growth Management Area. Staff replied that the manual applies to the City of Fort Collins service area. Board Member Jason Tarry seconded the motion. Vote on the Motion: It passed unanimously, 9-0. Water and Wastewater Rates Updates (Attachments available upon request) Utilities Strategic Finance Director Lance Smith, Utility Rate Analyst Randy Reuscher, and Utility Rate Analyst Justin Fields presented proposed rate updates. Every two years the Cost of Service and Plant Investment Fee models are updated, and adjustments are made to the monthly rates and the Plant Investment Fees. Staff seeks Water Board’s recommendation on the rates updates, which will be presented to City Council in November. Staff proposes a 5% overall rate increase for the Water Fund in 2018, and a 3% overall rate increase for the Wastewater Fund in 2018; both will vary by rate class. The 5% proposed rate increase is necessary for managing source of supply to tap and to replenish reserves as a means of providing some financial agility and to increase revenues to allow the 10-year Capital Improvement Plan to be done in 10 years with modest, gradual rate increases and some debt issuances over the next five years. The 3% rate increase is for revenue shortfall (due to water conservation), infrastructure improvements, and replacement of aging pipes in the collection system. Staff presented information on 2018 estimated typical residential bills and 2018 comparisons to rate increases by other Colorado cities (ranging from 3.5% to 13% for water, and 0% to 11% for wastewater). Discussion Highlights Board members commented on or inquired about various related topics including the Capital Improvement Plan; tiers; fixed and variable costs; volatility of water sales; surcharges for allotment overages; opinions by some board members that water is undervalued; method for charging for water and billing cycles; some board members’ desire to increase fixed revenue and also balance predictable revenue with conservation; the concept of water budgeting for customers and its practice in the City of Greeley; efforts elsewhere in the nation to create fixed income that responds to conservation, and some board members’ suggestion to research this topic and other innovative ideas. Staff mentioned City Council will consider a time-of-use rate structure in the fall. Staff Liaison Carol Webb suggested rates as a topic for future work sessions, and suggested Water Board members attend and comment at the City Council meeting in November.