HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Board - Minutes - 10/24/1975WATER BOARD
Regular Meeting
October 24, 1975 - 3:30 P.M.
Present: Ward Fischer
Raymond Anderson
Karl E. Carson
Henry Caulfield
Norman Evans
Harvey Johnson
Everett Richardson
James Waltz
Robert Brunton
Absent: Bernard Cain, Jr.
Ronald Fulkrod
Council member present: Bloom
Staff members present: Cain, Effinger, Hays, Krempel, Lewis, and Liquin
Minutes of Regular Meeting of
September 12, 1975, approved
Chairman Fischer inquired if there were any corrections to the minutes. Hearing
none, he declared the minutes approved as published.
Discussion of Water and Sewer Utilities Budget
A copy of the Water and Sewer Utilities Budget had been furnished previously to
each of the Water Board members. Mr. Roger Krempel, Water Utilities Director,
stated this was for informational purposes only. He further stated the Water
and Sewer Utilities have a good ending fund balance for 1975 and will have a
good ending fund balance for 1976. The Utilities are in good shape now and there
are no anticipated major problems.
City Manager Brunton stated one concern is that some of the cost figures are
escalating, which means the staff and the Council should closely monitor the
cost figures on a continuous basis„'so as the actual costs do not exceed the
projections. Chairman Fischer stated that we have to realize it takes money to
maintain a very high quality adequate system such as this one. He stated the
Board appreciated being brought up-to-date on this.
Consumptive Use Report
Chairman Fischer noted that each of the Water Board members had received a copy
of the Consumptive Use Report prepared by M.W. Bittinger & Associates. He stated
the report was designed primarily to give a background in connection with certain
considerations on reuse. Board member Caulfield inquired if the City had the
right, upon availability of foreign waters, to begin operating or if there was
another procedure to go through before beginning operation in terms of the law
of foreign water. Chairman Fischer advised him that the answer to that question
was not clear enough to discuss at this time. The concerns on this were not only
legal, but there were also policy, administrative, and public relations problems.
Mr. Mort Bittinger of M.W. Bittinger & Associates stated the City of Colorado
Springs was reusing foreign water through wells on an informal operational agreement
with the Water Commissioner.
Board member Evans commented that there is research proposed which will make
actual measurements of transpiration within the City environment available and
will help clean up some of the estimates. Mr. Krempel stated that Mr. Bittinger
had to do some digging to get these figures and this should be kept up-to-date
on a current basis.
Report on Minimum Stream Flows Meeting
Chairman Fischer reported on a meeting with the State Game and Fish Department
concerning minimum stream flows. He stated the City of Fort Collins and other
water users on the Poudre River were concerned about the possibility of the State
Game and Fish Department obtaining minimum stream flow appropriations for large
sections of the Poudre River to maintain the propogation of fish. These appro-
priations would be a junior right, which would be subject to being protected
from future exchanges, and these exchanges are necessary to make good utilitization
of the water resources of the Poudre River.
Chairman Fischer further stated the Game and Fish Department is becoming aware
of the City's concern, just as the City is aware of their concern. The meeting
discussed in general terms what could be done cooperatively to best utilize the
waters to benefit all agriculture, municipal, industrial, and domestic users on
the river and to accomplish an aesthetic environment. The discussion was to the
extent to which releases of water might be timed so as to coincide with the times
the river is low, which was when the water is most needed for the support of fish
and when the water in storage is needed. Chairman Fischer stated the Game and
Fish Department are studying exactly when and where they will need the flows.
He expressed the view to them that the City would cooperate and explore all of
the alternatives and would reasonably comply with their needs, probably with some
detriment to the City, as long as the detriment was not substantial.
Other Business
1. Chairman Fischer informed the Board on the Windy Gap project. The project,
at the time it was first discussed cost $17 million. The estimated cost
now is $46 million. This fact justifies that when the Water Board recommended
to the Council that the City proceed with the Joe Wright project, thereby
rejecting Windy Gap, the best project was picked.
2. Board member Caulfield stated he is a member of the Larimer-Weld Areawide
Waste Treatment Planning Committee, representing "environmental organizations."
-2-
He stated he attended a meeting in Greeley of the Committee of the Whole on
Regional Goals and Objectives to decide upon advice to the Council of Govern—
ments. Mr. Caulfield was mainly concerned with the water supply. He proposed
an amendment to change the terms "waters of the region" to "waters available
to the region", and this motion was passed. He stated he was concerned that
the objective to "maintain and increase agricultural water supplies" did not
include municipal and industrial water supplies. This proposal was rejected,
because the original objective was to express opposition to condemnation of
agricultural water supplies for urban use. He referred this matter to
Mr. Krempel and Chuck Bowling, who is the City's member to COG.
3. Board member Caulfield informed the Board that a study called "Executive
Summary of Critical Water Problems Facing the Eleven Western States, Westwide
Study, prepared by the Bureau of Reclamation was available. A copy of this
study will be sent to the Water Board members.
4. Board member Carson inquired if the Denver Water Board suit regarding waters
proposed to be used outside the City limits had any implications to this
Board. Chairman Fischer advised him that the Denver Water Board, unlike
this Board, is autonomous and the situation was peculiar to them only.
5. Chairman Fischer stated the condemnation case between the City of Thornton
and the mutual ditch company is pending, but the Supreme Court ruled that
if the City of Thornton wanted to condemn a water right, it would have to
have a separate suit for each and every stockholder of the ditch company.
6. Mr. Roger Krempel stated the expansion of the Soldier Canyon Treatment Plant
is moving ahead rapidly. The City took bids for the equipment and materials
on November 4 for delivery to start in February and has scheduled a bid
opening for general contractors sometime in January, 1976. This will assure
that we will come closer to meeting the June 1, 1976, completion date.
7. Mr. Krempel advised the Board that the predesign conference with the Bureau
of Reclamation on the Joe Wright Reservoir project went well. They feel
it is an exceptionally well designed strong dam. It was designed to have
a 10 inch rainfall with basically no freeboard, however, the Bureau would
like a maximum rainfall of 6 inches and approximately 3 foot of freeboard.
Mr. Charles Liquin stated the freeboard is estimated to cost $100,000 per
foot. This will be resolved soon.
Mr. Liquin further stated he is working to have the application completed
and submitted to the Bureau of Reclamation by the first of December. If
the City starts construction on Joe Wright Reservoir before the State Highway
Department starts construction on Highway 14, the City may have to build
the highway to present day standards, or delay the project. There is a
meeting on November 6 with representatives of the State Highway Department,
Roosevelt National Forest, Forest Highway Administration and Design Engineer
to see if there are any Forest Highway Funds for this project or receive
permission to construct a road similar to what is there now but rerouted.
8. Mr. Liquin informed the Board that the preliminary figures for the Horsetooth
Outlet are out. A tube for 250 second foot flow costs approximately $6.6
million and a tube for 500 second foot flow costs approximately $8 million.
—3—
The present projected needs for treated water would be for a treatment plant
of 45 million gallons capacity and 22 miles of transmission lines.
Board member Carson inquired if the Bureau had considered using a syphon system.
Mr. Krempel informed him that the Bureau had used that system once and it was
not very satisfactory. He had considered a pumping facility, but the Bureau
said this used too much energy. Mr. Krempel stated that he will be checking
on that further.
Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned.
Secretary '
f
-4-
' CIT Y OF FORT C O L L I NS
Memorandum
TO . Robert L. Brunton, City Manager
FROM: Roger E. Krempel, P.E., Water Utilities Director
RE Transfer of all Water and Sewer Transaction Related Activities
to the Service Center
DATE: September 4, 1975
We have discussed on several occasions your desire to concentrate all
Water and Sewer transaction related activities to our utility offices at
the Service Center. As you pointed out, this will lead to more efficiency
and accuracy, release present City Hall employees for other work load
responsiblities, and it would be less confusing to the public to have one
stop service for water and sewer information.
Previous memos have been written relative to the merits of this
change and will not be repeated at this time. The following however,
represents part of the reasoning we believe why you find this change to
be in the public interest.
Plant investment fees for water and sewer taps are determined by the
utility staff in cooperation with a building trades committee and forwarded
to the Council for approval. The 'tap charge' has been determined by the
utility staff in cooperation with a developer committee and taken to the
Council for approval. The utility is thus most aware of establishment of
the fees and the dates of changes. Inadvertent charges have on occasion
caused the loss of revenue to the utility, has caused unnecessary
inconvenience to the public, and unnecessary time in making adjustments.
Chuck Liquin has over the years worked closely with the Mountain View
and Laporte Sanitation Districts from their inception and has been kept
fully advised of any changes they desired in their PIF sewer charge.
Chuck Liquin points out that for several years, the Building Department
at the time someone applies for a building permit, fills in an information
slip. This slip contains the name of the owner, property description, and
the area of the property served. It is proposed that the Building Department
would in turn forward this slip to this office at which time the property
would be checked, permit written, and the permit returned to the Building
Department for the convenience of the builder. Sewer or water taps issued to
properties within the Mountain View Sanitation District, the Laporte Sanita-
tion District, or other miscellaneous out -of -City permits would require the
builder to come to the Service Center to obtain his permit. This would be of
of minor inconvenience, in that an out -of -City builder needs his County
permit signed off for sewer and water anyway.
Robert L. Brunton
.
Page 2
� September 4, 190
The one remaining item of concern in the issuance of a water or sewer
tap is the possiblity that the main being connected to has been installed
by someone other than the developer of the property benefited, in which
case, there will be a reimbursement charge. All reimbursement agreements
currently in effect have been written by Liquin, and it would be logical
for this to continue.
The rentals of surplus water and water rights accounting it has been
agreed is also logically carried out in the Utilities office because of the
knowledge ability and personnel available for that task.
On the basis of the above, it is recommended that you advise Engineering
Services and the City Clerk, that the Utilities are prepared in accordance
with the administration wishes to assume the above mentioned responsibilities
as of September 15th or such time as you see fit to make the transition.
There of course should be time allowed to advise developers and interested
parties of this change. We are willing to meet with you and those others
you feel would be interested at any time.
REK/sl
cc: Chuck Liquin
Verna Lewis '
Roy Bingman
Mike DiTullio
Charlie Cain