HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 3/22/2022 - Memorandum From Theresa Connor Re: Regional Water Discussions
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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 9, 2022
TO: Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Theresa Connor, Utilities Deputy Director
THROUGH: Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager
Kendall Minor, Utilities Executive Director
RE: Regional Water Discussions
Bottom Line
The discussion of how to approach management of water resource needs on a regional basis will
expand to include municipal suppliers and County representatives within Larimer and Weld
Counties this spring and summer. The work is being supported by the Community Foundation of
Northern Colorado and facilitated by the Patterson Foundation. There will be facilitated
discussions to determine options and recommendations for next steps this spring and summer. A
discussion with City Council will be scheduled on August 23, 2022, to provide an update and
seek direction of future efforts. In addition, we will incorporate lessons from the “Water
Resources Matters” study conducted in 2021 with the water districts providing water within the
city boundary and Growth Management Area.
Background
A regional water “StratOp” session took place December 16 and 17, 2020 via Zoom with
participation from 16 individuals that represented a small selection of municipalities and water
districts that serve Northern Colorado residents. The StratOp session resulted in new and deeper
relationships, a commitment to work more collaboratively, and a new committee to move a key
initiative forward with a mission to build sustainable water systems and solutions for the future
of Northern Colorado.
The next phase of work includes the convening of all municipal water suppliers within Larimer
and Weld Counties and representatives from both Counties to continue the effort to address
water resource needs in a holistic, collaborative manner. One concept that there seems to be
agreement on is a shared voice in advocacy at the state and federal level. Because of efforts to
protect water on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains, communities in the Denver
metropolitan area are looking to the north and south to obtain needed water for future growth
which is creating even more competition for water resources in Northern Colorado. It is fairly
widely recognized that communities need to be working together to develop the ability to
advocate effectively at the state and federal levels to address this challenge. Other activities such
as working collaboratively on shared infrastructure like emergency interconnects and/or projects
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will also be discussed. This work will result in recommendations for next steps and evaluate
potential organizational structures to carry out the work. A discussion with City Council will be
scheduled for the August 23, 2022, work session.
In addition to the current regional water discussions, lessons learned from the “Water Resource
Matters in the Growth Management Area” study will be incorporated into the work session
discussion. Fort Collins Utilities (Utilities) kicked off the Water Resource Matters in the Growth
Management Area (GMA) study (Study) in January of 2021. The Study’s objective is to evaluate
challenges and opportunities that arise from having multiple water service providers in the Fort
Collins GMA as well as the costs and benefits of potential opportunities to the address them. A
key goal of the Study is understanding the perspectives of various departments across the City
and what it is like to work with multiple water providers. Additionally, the Study will help to
understand the perspectives of other water providers in the GMA about what it is like to work
with the City and Utilities organizations on water-related matters.
CC: Gretchen Stanford, Utilities Deputy Director, Customer Connections Service Unit
Abbye Neel, Interim Water Conservation Manager
Ginny Sawyer, Project and Policy Manager
DeAngelo Bowden, Project Management Coordinator (GMA)
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