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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Board - Minutes - 08/16/2018Meeting Minutes – August 16, 2018 Page 1 Fort Collins Utilities Water Board Minutes Thursday, August 16, 2018 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 John Primsky, Lori Brunswig, Phyllis Ortman, Rebecca Hill, Andrew McKinley Board Absent: Steve Malers, Jason Tarry, Michael Brown, Jim Kuiken OTHERS PRESENT Staff: Carol Webb, Katherine Martinez, Link Mueller, Jason Graham, Mark Kempton, Eric Potyondy, John Stokes, Gregg Stonecipher, Adam Jokerst, Theresa Connor, Kevin Gertig Members of the Public: Jerry Okeson, Rich Stave Meeting Convened Chairperson Brett Bovee called the meeting to order at 5:33 p.m. Public Comment None Approval of July 19, 2018 Board Meeting Minutes Board Member Andrew McKinley moved to approve the July 19, 2018 Board meeting minutes. • Board Member Phyllis Ortman seconded the motion. • Vote on the motion: It passed unanimously 4-0 with 3 abstentions • Chairperson Brett Bovee and Board Members John Primsky and Lori Brunswig abstained due to their absence at the July meeting. Staff Reports (Attachments available upon request) • Water Resources Monthly Report (meeting packet only). No questions. • Halligan Quarterly Report (meeting packet only) No questions. • Financial Monthly Report (meeting packet only) o Board members expressed appreciation for the report content and format, and for it now being included in the monthly meeting packet. A board member inquired about reserve funds and appropriated funds. Meeting Minutes – August 16, 2018 Page 2 • Drinking Water Quality Policy Annual Report (meeting packet only) o Water Production Manager Mark Kempton and Senior Supervisor Gregg Stonecipher distributed an infographic that accompanies the report. A board member inquired about the statistic on the number of water meters tested (3,624) and replaced (1,488). • Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) Update o Water Resources Project Engineer Adam Jokerst reported that the NISP Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was released July 20. The public comment period was extended to 75 days. The public can submit comments via the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ website. City staff is reviewing the FEIS. Staff will share more details at the August 22 Joint Work Session for Water Board, Energy Board, Natural Resources Advisory Board, and Land Conservation & Stewardship Board. o A board member inquired about staff’s initial thoughts. Mr. Jokerst replied that the document is better organized and easier to read than the previous version. Board members agreed to save questions for the Joint Work Session and expressed appreciation for staff coordinating the session. o City Council will hear presentations on NISP at its September 11 Work Session. Public comments will be taken at the October 2 regular City Council meeting. Water Board will accept public comments and hear a staff presentation at its September 20 meeting. Staff will give presentations at Energy Board, Natural Resources Advisory Board, and Land Conservation & Stewardship Board. Phase II Agreement for the Cache la Poudre Instream Flow Augmentation Plan (Attachments available upon request) Natural Areas Director John Stokes summarized the project. Staff seeks City Council approval of a proposed agreement between various parties to implement Phase II of a three-phase project to develop an instream flow augmentation plan on the Poudre River through and near Fort Collins. Land Conservation & Stewardship Board voted to endorse the plan; one opposed vote was due to Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) as a potential mitigation tool. Discussion Highlights Board members inquired about and commented on various related topics including the scope of the project, water rights, Thornton Pipeline project (no direct relation between the two projects), Thornton water rights, implications in continuing to participate ($25,000 set aside a few years ago from Keep Fort Collins Great (KFCG) funds, not from Natural Areas Department budget). A board member commented that the memo provided an excellent summary of the project. Chairperson Brett Bovee moved that the Water Board recommend Council approval of the Agreement Regarding Phase II of a Multi-Phase Plan for an Instream Flow Augmentation Plan on the Cache la Poudre River. The parties to the Agreement include the City of Fort Collins, City of Greeley, Cache la Poudre Water Users Association, Northern Water, Meeting Minutes – August 16, 2018 Page 3 Thornton, Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and the Colorado Water Trust. Board Member Phyllis Ortman seconded the motion. Vote on the Motion: It passed unanimously 7-0. Water Reclamation and Biosolids (WRB) Master Plan (Attachments available upon request) Water Reclamation and Biosolids Manager Jason Graham summarized the plan and Civil Engineer III Link Mueller explained the master plan process: data collection and analysis, condition assessment, regulatory requirements, treatment alternative selection, capital improvement projects. Discussion Highlights Board members commented on and inquired about various related topics including the ultraviolet (UV) system at Mulberry Water Reclamation Facility (MWRF), which was installed in 1999 and is recommended to be replaced within the next five to seven years; Regulation 85 (adopted by the state in 2012 to reduce nutrient pollution in lakes, rivers, and streams); whether the master plan is available online (it is not, due to security reasons; Ms. Webb will research and notify the board whether staff this is possible); and regulatory rulemakings and opportunities to influence legislative policy (Ms. Webb will discuss this with the project manager for the City’s Legislative Policy Agenda). Water Board Periodic Review (Attachments available upon request) Every four years, each board and commission is scheduled for a Council Periodic Review, scheduled by outcome area. 2018 includes Environmental Health and High Performing Government. Boards complete a questionnaire and the Mayor attends a regular meeting to discuss the board’s function, duties, work plan and how they align with Council priorities and strategic plans, and to hear from the board what is working and where the board could use some direction or resources. The Water Board welcomed Mayor Wade Troxell, who expressed appreciation for the board’s work and stated he was interested in hearing from board members about how things are going. He will report back on the discussion to the City Council. Discussion Highlights Board members summarized how the board communicates recommendations to Council (meeting minutes containing how the board voted on staff recommendations; memos to Council on specific issues, such as on the whitewater park and the Halligan Water Supply Project). The mayor stated one of the reasons for the periodic review is to ensure boards and commissions’ work is within their charter. Ms. Webb expressed appreciation for the depth and breadth of knowledge among board members and the co-creation between staff and board, for example when staff brings an idea to the board, who ask questions that help staff further develop plans. A Meeting Minutes – August 16, 2018 Page 4 board member stated opportunities for improvement would include board members taking time to attending more City Council meetings that address water-related issues. Achievements include using work sessions to focus on specific high-importance issues addressed by Council, such as water rate structures and ditch companies. A board member expressed appreciation to Council for appointing knowledgeable community members to serve on the board. Ms. Webb mentioned that Mayor Pro Tem Gerry Horak had a positive experience attending the Water Smart Growth Workshop that Utilities and the Sonoran Institute co-hosted yesterday. Other Business Fee Working Group Board Member Rebecca Hill serves on the Fee Working Group and reported that the group will release a paper in the next month or so on topics such as impact fees. She will distribute the document to the board. Background: Over the past several months, City Council considered and ultimately approved changes to impact fees after several months of controversial community discussion over the fee increases, the basis for the fee updates and the underlying plans the fee revenue supports. During this process, Council recommended the creation of a “working group” comprised of City staff, representatives from industry as well as citizens at large with the goal of creating an improved understanding of the methodologies, inputs, calculations, and update cadence of fees approved by Council. Budgeting for Outcomes (BFO) Update Ms. Webb reported that the City Manager’s Recommended Budget has been released and will be discussed at the September 11 City Council Work Session. This topic will also be on the Water Board’s September 20 regular meeting agenda; the board may want to discuss comments and recommendations to Council. There will be two public hearings, September 4 and 18, and a public comment period at the Council meetings to adopt the ordinance (first reading November 6, and second reading November 20). Truck Carrying Fracking Fluid in Poudre Canyon A board member inquired about a Coloradoan article on a truck carrying fracking fluid going off the road in Poudre Canyon on August 2; Ms. Webb said the truck did go into the river and staff shut off the intake. Staff is working with the emergency planning coalition on follow up and stated the incident underscores the importance of redundant supply and monitoring, as well as the need for additional measures, such as not allowing trucks in the canyon if they’re carrying hazardous waste. Ms. Webb will share information on a Service Area Request (SAR) with the board. Water Board Work Session The Water Board’s October 4 Work Session will address alternative rate structures. Staff will share information on what various structures might look like, and a possible pilot project. The ditch companies topic will be postponed until the December 6 Work Session. Chairperson Bovee asked board members to think about possible Work Session topics for 2019.