HomeMy WebLinkAboutWORK SESSION SUMMARY-03/08/2022-Work Session (2)
Utilities
electric · stormwater · wastewater · water
222 Laporte Ave.
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580
970.212.2900
V/TDD: 711
utilities@fcgov.com
fcgov.com/utilities
M E M O R A N D U M
DATE: March 16, 2022
TO: Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Theresa Connor, Interim Utilities Deputy Director
Matt Fater, Interim Utilities Deputy Director
THROUGH: Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager
Kendall Minor, Utilities Executive Director
RE: March 8, 2022, Work Session Overview - Stormwater Capital Improvement
Program
Staff presented an overview of the Stormwater Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to City
Council members based upon feedback received from the December 14, 2021, Stormwater
Utility Overview work session. The discussion focused on a deeper dive into four topics
including incorporation of water quality improvements into the Stormwater CIP; the overall cost
of the CIP; the emphasis on improvements in the downtown area that are part of the Downtown
Stormwater Improvement Plan (DSIP); and the overall timeline for the Stream Rehabilitation
Program. Topics of discussion included:
x To reduce overall costs of the program, the City would need to consider changing the
design criteria of the flood protection program to a lower design storm.
x To accelerate the stream rehabilitation program, the City could consolidate the current
project list of 55 stream reaches into 22 larger projects that would cost between $3M and
$5M. A larger project could be submitted each BFO cycle.
x To provide more balance between flood protection, stream rehabilitation, and water
quality improvements as well as manage rates in the upcoming 10 year Capital
Improvement Program, the City could extend the buildout period of the DSIP. This
would allow more capital resources to be applied to the other programs.
Three scenarios were presented for consideration:
1. Stay the Course – completing DSIP in 12-15 years, allocating $1.2M a year to stream
rehabilitation and incorporating water quality improvements into the other projects.
2. Extend the buildout timeframe of DSIP – extend the timeframe of DSIP so that some debt
can be paid off prior to taking on other projects, accelerate the stream rehabilitation
program through one consolidated project per BFO cycle and accelerate individual water
quality projects in the CIP. This may result in less rate increases as well. This option
was recommended by staff.
3. Consider changing the design criteria for the flood protection program – this would
manage the overall cost of the stormwater CIP and allow further acceleration of the
stream rehabilitation and water quality programs.
Five members of City Council indicated support for Scenario 2 above. Council did request a
memo with information regarding cost and schedule of a project to analyze modifying the 10-
year design storm for the areas of the city that need to be retrofitted.
Steps to follow up from this work session include:
1. Providing the requested memo on using the 10-year design storm. Staff will engage
partners to determine cost and schedule and send the memo in the next month. This will
basically be a high-level master plan effort which is why it takes some effort to complete.
The scope will include:
x Hydraulic and hydrologic modeling of 10-year storm
x Limited surveying
x Damage assessment
x Selection of alternatives to address damages.
x Cost estimating
x Hydraulic and hydrologic modeling of 100 year storm with improvements to
determine residual risk and floodplain.
2. Revise the CIP to reflect the conditions in Scenario 2. This will be completed this
summer after BFO offers are submitted.
3. Bring forward a consolidated stream rehabilitation project in the 2023/2024 budget.
4. Bring forward the construction of the Oak Street Stormwater Project in the 2023/2024
budget.
Staff appreciates Council feedback and direction.
CC: Lance Smith, Utilities Strategic Financial Manager
Ken Sampley, Director of Stormwater Engineering and Development Review