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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Commission - MINUTES - 12/07/2023 WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING December 7, 2023, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Hybrid in person at 222 LaPorte Ave and online via Zoom 12/07/2023 – MINUTES Page 1  The Water Commission advises City Council regarding water, wastewater, and stormwater policy issues such as water rights, planning, acquisition and management, conservation and public education, floodplain regulations, storm drainage, and development criteria. Read more at https://www.fcgov.com/cityclerk/boards/water. 1. CALL TO ORDER 5:32 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL  Commissioners Present In Person: Jordan Radin (Chairperson), Paul Herman (Vice Chairperson), Jason Tarry  Commissioners Present via Zoom: James Bishop, Tyler Eldridge  Commissioners Absent - Excused: Kent Bruxvoort, Rick Kahn, John Primsky, Greg Steed  Staff Members Present In Person: Jill Oropeza, Katherine Martinez, Kelly Wasserbach, Christina Schroeder, Matt Fater, Leslie Hill, Richard Thorp, Kelly Gordon, Mariel Miller  Staff Members Present via Zoom: None  Members of the Public: Kevin Greer/HDR, Inc. 3. AGENDA REVIEW  Chairperson Radin briefly summarized items on the agenda and announced agenda item #7(b)(i) would be moved up before Staff Reports due to time constraints. 4. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION: None 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Chairperson Radin asked for comments and revisions on the draft minutes. Commissioner Tarry moved to approve the Nov. 16 minutes. Vice Chairperson Herman seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: it passed unanimously, 5-0. 6. ANNOUNCEMENTS a. Staff appreciation related to Agenda Item #9(b): Commissioners thanked Business Support III Katherine Martinez for her service this year managing agendas WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 12/07/2023 – MINUTES Page 2  and meetings, and for providing various other administrative support to the Water Commission. b. Chairperson Radin offered congratulations from the Water Commission to Commissioner Bishop and his wife on the birth of their first child. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Regular Items i. Agreement Regarding the Upper Poudre Watershed Source Water Protection Plan Watershed Program Manager Richard Thorp provided a summary of the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) to develop a regional cost-share collaborative source water protection plan. This item is scheduled for the Jan. 16 City Council meeting. Fort Collins Utilities and several other regional water providers (City of Greeley, Northern Water Conservancy District, Soldier Canyon Water Treatment Authority, and City of Thornton) have drafted a detailed scope of work. The source water protection plan would delineate each water provider’s source water supply boundary, identify overlapping projects between partners, and link to existing watershed protections, programs, and projects. The plan is expected to foster increased communication, alignment, and cost- sharing of the implementation of best management practices. Initial funding -- for hiring a consultant to facilitate development of the plan -- is $150,000: $50,000 grant from Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment; $50,000 from the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s Water Plan Grant Program; and $10,000 from each project partner (Fort Collins Utilities plans to use $10,000 in existing Watershed Protection funding). Discussion Highlights Commissioners commented on or inquired about various related topics including program funding, sharing data, cost-sharing agreements in the future once framework is established; regional collaboration began about 15 years ago, therefore relationships and trust are in place for this project that formalizes the structure; suggestion for staff to contact North Front Range Water Quality Planning Association regarding its similar effort for a North Front Range Nonpoint Source Watershed Plan ( https://nfrwqpa.colorado.gov/nps-watershed-plan ); whether there’s any downside to this project (none; it will help everyone align projects); the WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 12/07/2023 – MINUTES Page 3  intergovernmental agreement doesn’t govern a program, it is for development of the plan itself; formal structure makes sense for collaboration and resource-sharing. Commissioner Tarry moved that the Water Commission recommend City Council formally approve of the Utilities Watershed Program entering into the agreement regarding the Upper Poudre Watershed Source Protection Plan. Vice Chairperson Herman seconded the motion. Vote on the Motion: it passed unanimously, 5-0.   b. Staff Reports i. Water Reclamation and Biosolids Master Plan Update Civil Engineer III Kelly Wasserbach provided an overview of the master plan scope and Director of Plant Operations-Drake Water Reclamation Facility (DWRF) Christina Schroeder and Director of Civil Engineering Matt Fater assisted in answering questions. The plan includes management of Meadow Springs Ranch, condition assessment, Maximo asset management program; current and future state; treatment alternatives analysis; protection prioritization; innovation and vision and master plan integration (One Water approach; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); innovation; stakeholder engagement); and considerations related to four-generation workplace and industry. An innovation workshop is scheduled for spring 2024 and a final draft is scheduled by end of 2024. Discussion Highlights Commissioners commented on or inquired about various related topics including Maximo asset management program (90% of inventory catalogued; past staff turnover was a challenge; there is staff now in place to oversee it); Fort Collins Utilities began using Maximo software about eight years ago; need to prioritize use of Maximo; using Maximo to make decisions during Budgeting For Outcomes (BFO) process; staff knowledge transfer and training between tenured staff and new staff; relaunching asset management program with current staff. Senior Director of Integrated Water Sciences and Planning Jill Oropeza shared that Utilities has set up a new project management structure led by Senior Director of Integrated Water Operations Jeremy Woolf. WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 12/07/2023 – MINUTES Page 4    ii. Water Loss Audit Water Conservation Assistant Kelly Gordon presented a summary of the audit with support from Water Conservation Manager Mariel Miller. Fort Collins Utilities has participated in the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Water Loss Audit annually since 2016 to ensure the operation’s accountability and efficiency. All water utilities experience inevitable water losses during production and supply, which result in financial loss due to uncaptured revenue and wasted water that could be put to more beneficial uses. Staff uses the AWWA M36 Water Loss Audit Manual and Tools and Fort Collins Utilities Water Utility Data (water supplied, authorized consumption, system data). In 2022, Unit Total Losses were 10.4 gallons per connection per day, compared to avoidable real losses of 21.9 gal/connection/day, and to national scores of 20 to 100 gal/connection/day. Water losses have improved from 20.22/gal/connection/day in 2019 to 10.4 gal/connection/day in 2022. Fort Collins Utilities also participates in the Colorado Water Loss Initiative, a free program provided by the state’s Department of Natural Resources, Colorado Water Conservation Board. Next steps: check and understand data, identify data validity score improvements, and identify water loss prevention. Discussion Highlights Commissioners commented on or inquired about various related topics including the way in which water is valued (80 million gallons of loss per year or 245 acre-feet [1% of total water] is the equivalent of $15 million per year if valued based on Colorado Big-Thompson Project share prices); important exercise to engage in; how to know when cost is justified; fascinating and challenging question to answer; whether the 10-gallon loss per day per connection is too low: Water Conservation Manager Mariel Miller stated it’s not a perfect accounting system but a benchmark to compare from year to year; a lot of linear feet and miles of piping, aging infrastructure and planned replacement. Commissioners commented that enjoyed the presentation; they like the program and the fact staff is analyzing and addressing data validity questions; model, estimate, and ways to meter in the future are under discussion (e.g. City employees who fill a water tank truck with unmetered WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 12/07/2023 – MINUTES Page 5  water to irrigate the flowers and plants downtown).   iii. Water Utilities Update Senior Director of Integrated Water Sciences and Planning Jill Oropeza reported on one project of interest to the Water Commission: staff members are working on a raw waterline project in Poudre Canyon below Gateway Park: a 27-inch waterline became exposed during the 2013 flood; the project is to trench it deeper and encase it in concrete to protect it; environmental protections are in place; any questions can be answered by Director of Civil Engineering Matt Fater; project is going well despite the challenges of working in the canyon (e.g. water higher than expected this time of year; hope it will go down as temperatures decrease); completed transition from old pipe; about 100 feet of pipe in the ground; 500-foot section replacement; goal is to complete the project by April 1 when spring runoff typically occurs. iv. Financial Monthly Report The report will be available later this month; staff will share it with Commissioners.   8. COMMISSIONER REPORTS  A. Chairperson Radin reported that he and Commissioner Steed attended the Dec. 4 Boards and Commissions “Super Issues” Meeting on Halligan Water Supply and Water Efficiency Plan; about 35 other boards and commissions members attended; great presentations by Halligan Project Manager Darren Parkin and Water Conservation Specialist Alice Conovitz; great questions from other boards and commissions members; enjoy these interesting “Super Issues” meetings; attended to see what others thought of these projects; discussion included how the Halligan project will affect Fort Collins affordability; tension between affordable housing and water supply; City’s water rights portfolio is highly valued and that’s why costs are so high; continue to invest money in infrastructure, which leads to increased costs.   9. OTHER BUSINESS A. Annual Report Chairperson Radin reported that he’d drafting the 2023 annual report, including a summary of topics from this year’s meetings, and will share a draft for review before the Jan. 18 meeting. WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 12/07/2023 – MINUTES Page 6  b. Staff Liaison and Business Support III Transition Announcement that Senior Director of Integrated Water Operations Jeremy Woolf and Business Support III John Song will fill the Staff Liaison and Administrative Support roles for one year starting in January. These roles are on a one-year rotation to provide an opportunity for staff to work with the Water Commission, and for Commissioners to gain the perspective of staff working in different areas of the Water Utilities: Water, Water Reclamation and Biosolids, Stormwater, and Capital Projects. 10. ADJOURNMENT 7:03 p.m. These minutes were approved by the Water Commission on February 15, 2024.