HomeMy WebLinkAboutConstituent Letter - Mail Packet - 11/2/2021 - Letter From Mayor Jeni Arndt To Natural Resources Advisory (11)
Mayor
City Hall
300 LaPorte Ave.
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.416.2154
970.224.6107 - fax
fcgov.com
October 27, 2021
Natural Resources Advisory Board
c/o Honore Depew
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
Dear Drew Derderian and Board Members:
On behalf of City Council, thank you for providing us with the October 27, 2021 memorandum
regarding “Water Supply Cash-in-Lieu Fee Adjustment” wherein you summarized the Board’s
support for changes to the cash-in-lieu water allotment pricing.
Thank you for elaborating on the Board’s perspective on river conservation and water
management as the community is inextricably intertwined with the health of these important
elements.
We really appreciate the time and perspectives of the Board and thank you again for your
thoughtful correspondence.
Best Regards,
Jeni Arndt
Mayor
/sek
Cc: City Council Members
Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager
Environmental Services
215 N. Mason
PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221-6600
970.224-6177 - fax
fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD
DATE: October 27, 2021
TO: Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Natural Resources Advisory Board
SUBJECT: Water Supply Cash-In-Lieu Fee Adjustment
Dear Mayor and City Council,
Ecological resilience for water quality, riparian ecological health and sustainable flows has never
been more important, which is why the Natural Resources Advisory Board members were pleased to
hear the recommended changes to the cash-in-lieu water allotment pricing presented by the Water
Resources Manager, Donnie Dustin on October 20th, 2021. The board voted 8-0 to write this memo
of support of these changes and provide our feedback to the City Council.
River conservation and water management have been of continued and particular interest to the
Natural Resources Advisory board over the years. The board recommended in 2019 that prices
should be increased to reflect the true and increasing value of water here in Fort Collins and along
the Front Range. That vote and the concerns surrounding that recommendation holds true now.
The Cache La Poudre and the Big Thompson are providing, together, ~31,000 acre-feet each year for
the City and a variety of recreational opportunities for locals and visitors. The Poudre River is also
synonymous with Fort Collins and a vital part of many of our natural areas.
Climate change poses a serious threat to our water supplies and our water quality. Increasing
temperatures are decreasing river flows, increasing wildland fire and subsequent flood likelihood,
threatening riparian areas, and will continue to decrease the availability of water resources while
increasing the purchasing and treatment costs due to associated quality issues with less resilient river
and riparian systems.
The new proposed changes, an increase from ~$42,500 per acre-foot to $68,200 per acre-foot, which
included calculations based on an conservative estimate of a 20% decrease in total supply brought on
by climate change and preparation for an 1 in 50 drought severity year, still puts Fort Collins very
much at par with the fees for water in other Front Range communities.
2
The Natural Resources Advisory Board believes that the 20% may be too conservative and, as such,
an even greater increase should be considered to prepare the water portfolio for catastrophic events,
to protect the rivers from overuse and ecological instability, and to encourage other communities to
also value their water appropriately. As climate change and growth continue to impact b oth our water
supplies and our water demand, it is vital that our fees are reviewed and increased regularly to
accurately reflect changes in water value.
Respectfully,
Drew Derderian
Member, Natural Resources Advisory Board
cc: Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager
Jackie Kozak Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer
Honore Depew, NRAB Staff Liaison and Climate Program Manager
Julie Pignataro, City Council Liaison to the NRAB