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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Board - Minutes - 12/15/20161 Water Board Minutes December 15, 2016 Fort Collins Utilities Water Board Minutes Thursday, December 15, 2016 Water Board Chairperson City Council Liaison Rebecca Hill, 970-402-1713 Wade Troxell, 970-219-8940 Water Board Vice Chairperson Staff Liaison Brett Bovee, 970-889-0469 Carol Webb, 970-221-6231 ROLL CALL Board Present: Vice Chairperson Brett Bovee and Board Members Steve Malers, Phyllis Ortman, Andrew McKinley, Duncan Eccleston, Lori Brunswig, Michael Brown, and Kent Bruxvoort Board Absent: Chairperson Rebecca Hill, Board Members Jason Tarry and Alexander Maas Board members Michael Brown and Kent Bruxvoort joined the meeting at 5:34 p.m. during the Board Member Recognition. OTHERS PRESENT Staff: Carol Webb, Kevin Gertig, Katherine Martinez, Mike Gebo, Jon Haukaas, Ken Sampley, Shane Boyle Members of the Public: None Meeting Convened Vice Chairperson Bovee called the meeting to order at 5:31 p.m. Public Comment None Staff Reports None Approval of November 17, 2016 Board Meeting Minutes Board members discussed one minor revision: adding “2015” to the August 6 Work Session date mentioned at the bottom of page 3. Board Member Duncan Eccleston moved to approve the November 17 meeting minutes. Board Member Phyllis Ortman seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: It passed unanimously, 5-0 with 1 abstention.* *Board Member Steve Malers abstained due to his absence at the November meeting. (Board Members Michael Brown and Kent Bruxvoort were not present for the vote.) 2 Water Board Minutes December 15, 2016 Board Member Recognition Ms. Webb presented a gift from the board and staff to retiring board member Duncan Eccleston and thanked him for his expertise and eight years of service to the City. Mr. Eccleston stated it’s been a pleasure working on a board with members of various backgrounds and perspectives, thanked the board for listening to each other and working well together, and thanked staff for bringing information to the board earlier so it can be more useful and involved. Executive Director Quarterly Update (Attachments available upon request) Utilities Executive Director Kevin Gertig summarized 2016 Priorities and progress: be the safest workplace in America, continue implementation of the Climate Action Plan (now called The Road to 2020), continue adoption of Strategic Asset Management Plans and Principles, continue to plan for our Water Future, and develop a defensible 2017-18 Utilities budget. He also mentioned operational results of the Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater funds; of Customer Connections; and of the third and fourth quarter accomplishments, including completion of the Michigan Ditch Tunnel Project, finalized the 2017-18 budget, and successfully adopted wet utility rate ordinances. Mr. Gertig answered questions, thanked Mr. Eccleston for his service on the board, and offered the board tours to any of the City facilities. Discussion Highlights Board members commented on and inquired about various topics, including pipe replacement (Water Utility Operations Manager Jon Haukaas replied with information on the asset management program); how targets are displayed in the scorecard of the Wastewater Fund; Raw Water Requirements City Council dates (January 23 at Council Finance Committee and Feb. 28 City Council Work Session); and safety data (City employees are not allowed to use cell phones while driving; any incidents are followed by an after-action report; all meetings begin with a “safety minute”; random drug testing for employees who are commercial driver’s license (CDL) certified. 2015 Building Code and Local Amendments Overview (Attachments available upon request) Chief Building Official Mike Gebo summarized proposed amendments to the 2015 international codes and requested the board’s feedback and recommendation for approval of the 2015 Building Code and Local Amendments, which are going to City Council for adoption in March. The codes are reviewed every three years and published by the International Code Council. The five core building codes are the International Building Code, the International Residential Code, the International Mechanical Code, the International Fuel Gas Code, and the International Energy Conservation Code. The 2015 codes represent the most up-to-date building codes; establish minimum construction standards to safeguard public health, safety, and welfare; and regulate structural strength and stability, sanitation, light, and ventilation, energy conservation, and property protection. 3 Water Board Minutes December 15, 2016 Discussion Highlights Board members commented on and inquired about various topics, including whether the vinyl siding ban is local (Mr. Gebo confirmed that it is; adopted in 2012); reaction of the vinyl industry association toward the City’s vinyl siding ban; whether anyone from water conservation groups have approached Mr. Gebo about water sprinkler systems in relation to codes (no); and how much of code drives the industry to energy efficiency; and whether the code committee was unanimous in its support of proposed local amendments (yes). Board Member Duncan Eccleston moved that Water Board express its support for the water-related code changes and local refinements and also that the City consider rapid adoption of graywater systems as they relate to the 2015 international plumbing codes. Board Member Lori Brunswig seconded the motion. Discussion of the motion: Board members discussed graywater issues and related Colorado State University research; state statute allows local control for Cities to adopt ordinances (Ms. Webb will research a draft of the model ordinance and steps to proceed with including this in City Code; plumber liability issues, requirements in the ordinance that enacts the code, and questions on ownership of the water. Ms. Webb stated she’ll talk with Water Conservation staff and bring the information back to the board; state regulations on graywater exist. Board members discussed delaying action on recommending approval of the proposed code changes until then. Vote on the Motion: it passed 7 -1 with one nay (Board Member Ortman) Reason for Nay Vote: Opposed until there’s a way to assess the City’s liability, which would include the definition of graywater, whether it’s a combination of blackwater and graywater. Ms. Webb replied the regulation’s graywater definition is strict; it does not include blackwater; and stated staff would bring this issue to the board again. Water/Wastewater Criteria Manual Adoption (Attachments available upon request) Civil Engineer III Shane Boyle summarized the manual highlights and reason for the manual creation. City Code contains minimum standards for designing public improvements in the Fort Collins Utilities (FCU) Water and Wastewater service areas; all public water and sanitary sewer improvements must comply with FCU Water Distribution System and Wastewater Collection System Master Plans; requires compliance of materials and installation of water, wastewater and stormwater improvements; staff asks for adoption of the manual because no formally adopted water/wastewater criteria manual exists; City informally uses industry standards for design of water utilities infrastructure; the new manual sets forth design standards for water utilities infrastructure; adopted into City Code for clarity and consistency. Discussion Highlights Board members commented and inquired about various related topics, such as how future technology might affect the manual in the future (Mr. Boyle explained the manual allows for variances); whether there’s an industry body that manages the criteria, such as with the building