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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Board - Minutes - 04/15/2021 WATER BOARD REGULAR MEETING April 15, 2021, 5:30-7:30 p.m. online via Zoom 0 4/15/202 1 –MINUTES Page 1 1. CALL TO ORDER 5:30 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL • Board Members Present: Kent Bruxvoort (Chairperson), Greg Steed (Vice Chairperson), Cibi Chinnasamy, Jason Tarry, John Primsky, Michael Brown, Paul Herman, Phyllis Ortman, Randy Kenyon, Tyler Eldridge • Staff Members Present: Katherine Martinez, Samantha Littleton, Matt Fater, Katie Collins, Mariel Miller, Alice Conovitz, Elizabeth Blythe, Donnie Dustin, Liesel Hans, Donnie Dustin, Mark Cassalia, Abbye Neel, John Song, Meagan Smith • Members of the Public: None 3. AGENDA REVIEW None 4. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION None 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Chairperson Bruxvoort asked for comments on the March minutes. Board Member Randy Kenyon moved to approve the March 18, 2021 minutes. Vice Chairperson Greg Steed seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: it passed unanimously, 8-0, with two abstentions from board members Cibi Chinnasamy and Tyler Eldridge due to their absence at the March 18 Regular Meeting. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Staff Reports (Attachments available upon request) i. Monthly Financial Report (meeting packet only; no presentation) WATER BOARD REGULAR MEETING 0 4/15/2021 –MINUTES Page 2 Discussion Highlights A board member found it worth noting that there were significant unrealized losses in investment funds from Water Utility accounts, i.e. $441K from Water, $233K from Wastewater, and $134K from Stormwater. Staff Liaison Matt Fater consulted with Utility Strategic Finance Director Lance Smith, who stated that the unrealized loss is related to the current market value of the bond market. Utilities only invests in Treasury Bills or other very low risk bonds, and never realizes such a loss because the bonds are held until maturity before rolling them over into new bonds. However, it is an accounting requirement to recognize the current value of any investments, and the bond market does fluctuate. So if the current portfolio of bonds were to be sold, it would have to be sold on the open market, and at this time, yes, Utilities would expect to recover less than if they were held until maturity. The losses shown across the three Water Utility accounts total about $800K on investments totaling $100-120M, or less than 1% due to market fluctuations. ii. Memo: Update on Water Shortage Planning Efforts and Potential for Restrictions in 2021 (meeting packet only; no presentation) Discussion Highlights A board member noted that Northern Water has established the Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT) quota at 70%. Donnie Dustin, Water Resources Manager, commented that the City also receives Horsetooth supplies from North Poudre Irrigation Co., and overall, the working quota puts the City in a good position. Mariel Miller, Water Conservation Specialist, added that the memo was sent to the City Council and is awaiting a response from the City Manager regarding the implementation of voluntary water restrictions. iii. Memo: US Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART Grant (meeting packet only; no presentation) Discussion Highlights Katie Collins, Xeriscape Programs Manager, spoke about the grant, a $75K request to help support the Commercial Xeriscape Incentive Program that, if awarded, will receive a response from the Bureau of Reclamation in mid to late summer of 2021. A board member inquired whether landscape projects will continue regardless of the reception of the grant. The current budget will indeed allow projects to continue into 2022, but the grant would provide significant rebates to participating customers. iv. Water Resources Monthly Report (no presentation) No discussion. WATER BOARD REGULAR MEETING 0 4/15/2021 –MINUTES Page 3 v. Water Supply Requirement Update Abbye Neel, Interim Water Conservation Manager, provided an update on the status of the Water Supply Requirement Project that was brought to the Water Board in October of 2020. Water Supply Requirements (WSRs) are met by developers to account for the additional demand created from new development. These water supplies ensure water reliability and are translated into an equivalent annual water allotment. The update focused on feedback from stakeholder outreach and updates to the residential/multifamily water supply requirements. To address opportunities for accuracy and equity, decrease unnecessary financial burden on end users, and ensure that sufficient WSRs are met, Utilities proposed to change the current WSR and allotment methodology. In the new proposal, WSRs and allotments will be determined by a development’s characteristics (e.g. square footage, business type, landscape type, number of bedrooms, etc.) to more closely align its WSR/allotment with its water usage. By increasing accuracy, Utilities aims to continue to responsibly manage water supplies, while preventing unnecessary financial burdens on customers. Discussion Highlights Abbye Neel highlighted that there will be changes to all four sectors to better align with customers’ water use: irrigation, non-residential (commercial), multifamily, and residential. Two more significant updates are the reevaluation in plant investment fees and an outreach effort to about 20 developers, builders, and architects regarding the proposed changes. A board member appreciated the idea of a separate irrigation tap for outdoor use to better calculate water requirements. Another board member would like to see in better detail during the June presentation what the unforeseen consequences of the 2018 update was for customers that the proposal will address, as well as the responses from the 20 organizations of the community. vi. 2020 Water Conservation Annual Report Mariel Miller, Water Conservation Specialist, presented on the 2020 Water Conservation Annual Report. The Water Conservation Team supports policy, community, and operational goals set by the Water Efficiency Plan. Each year, Water Conservation is required to produce an annual report in accordance with the Water Efficiency Plan to summarize water savings associated with conservation programs, education, and other related efforts. Discussion Highlights A board member inquired about the purpose of the residential customer budget, as the City doesn’t currently establish monthly billing in accordance WATER BOARD REGULAR MEETING 0 4/15/2021 –MINUTES Page 4 to a budget. Ms. Miller assured that it’s informational to help improve the community’s water literacy and help customers better understand their water usage. The City received free technical assistance from the state to develop those budgets to test in the summer and apply in the fall and winter next year. A board member wanted to see a comparison of savings by year and percentage against total usage for perspective. Another board member would like to see a case study of the application of a program for a commercial property in future annual reporting. vii. Utilities Customer Satisfaction Survey Mark Cassalia, Customer Accounts Manager, and Samantha Littleton, Strategic Account Specialist, presented on the 2020 Utilities Customer Satisfaction Survey. This presentation relays the first round of responses to the Water and Wastewater survey created in congruence with J.D. Powers. Discussion Highlights Board members commented on how to better communicate the pricing model to customers and on the difficulties of messaging the bill. Mr. Cassalia responded that they need to highlight how the pricing is comparably low for the region and should communicate that better to customers. Board members asked if the recent staff leadership changes have affected communication at all and how the presented metrics can translate to policy or solution. Mr. Cassalia expressed the desire for focus groups and community member communication groups; there is some hesitancy to over-communicate, but staff has historically seen that better communication results in more customer satisfaction. b. Regular Items (Attachments available upon request) None 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS None 9. OTHER BUSINESS a. Reimagine Boards & Commissions Elizabeth Blythe, Boards & Commissions Coordinator, presented a summary of the changes and direct Water Board impacts regarding the Reimagine Boards & Commissions code changes after City Council’s first reading on March 16th. Pending its second reading on April 20th, the Water Board will officially change its title to the WATER BOARD REGULAR MEETING 0 4/15/2021 –MINUTES Page 5 Water Commission for its quasi-judicial functions beginning on April 30th. Discussion Highlights A board member expressed gratitude that Council seemed to take into consideration the Water Board’s comments regarding the forthcoming changes. 10. ADJOURNMENT 7:10 p.m. These minutes were approved by the Water Board on May 20, 2021.