HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 3/27/2018 - Memorandum From Adam Jokerst And Steve Lukowski Re: Pleasant Valley And Lake Canal Rehabilitation ProjectUtilities
electric · stormwater · wastewater · water
700 Wood Street
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6700
970.221.6619 – fax
V/TDD 711
utilities@fcgov.com
fcgov.com/utilities
Parks Department
413 S. Bryan Ave.
Fort Collins, CO 80521
970.221.6660
970.221.6849 – fax
fcgov.com/parks
M E M O R A N D U M
DATE: March 13, 2018
TO: Mayor Troxell and Councilmembers
FROM: Adam Jokerst, Water Resources Project Engineer
Steve Lukowski, Manager of Parks
THROUGH: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Jeff Mihelich, Deputy City Manager
Kelly DiMartino, Senior Assistant City Manager
RE: Pleasant Valley and Lake Canal Rehabilitation Project
______________________________________________________________________________
UBottom Line
The Pleasant Valley and Lake Canal Company (“Company”) will be taking actions to
rehabilitate the Pleasant Valley and Lake Canal (“Ditch”) and access easement, portions of
which are in residential neighborhoods on the west side of Fort Collins (see attached map).
Starting this year, the Company will remove trees and brush from the Ditch and access easement
to restore channel capacity, improve safety, reduce liability, and facilitate future maintenance.
City Stormwater Utility crews will help haul away some materials. These actions may impact
adjacent property owners who may wish to contact Councilmembers. This City owns a majority
(77%) of shares in the Company and uses the Ditch for municipal water supply, irrigation of
Parks lands, and stormwater conveyance.
UDiscussion
The Ditch delivers water to lands throughout Bellvue and on the west side of Fort Collins
including to City parks, Grandview Cemetery, and City Park Nine Golf Course. The Ditch also
plays an important role in safely conveying stormwater, and shares in the Company provide Fort
Collins Utilities an important source of raw water for municipal water supply. The City also
owns several tracts of land underlying the ditch.
Portions of the Ditch have not been cleared in 30 or more years, leading to clogging and
undercutting of the Ditch. In addition, the Ditch’s easement has become overgrown, which
prevents the Company from accessing the ditch to perform regular maintenance. This deferred
maintenance jeopardizes water deliveries and presents a safety hazards to surrounding residents
and property. Such hazards include flood risks from the Ditch breaching and the risk of trees
falling on neighboring properties. Such hazards also create potential liability for the Company.
DocuSign Envelope ID: E233C7CF-C459-439B-99C2-99C579F773F3
Company shareholders recently approved a plan to rehabilitate the entire 19-mile length of the
Ditch within the next 10 years. This year the Company will focus its efforts on the southern
portion of the Ditch between Harmony Road and Falcon Drive (see attached map), and will be
removing and pruning trees, clearing brush, and hauling sediment and debris. Although the
Company plans to cut only those trees impeding Ditch operations and maintenance, as well as
trees that present safety concerns, it is anticipated that numerous mature trees will need to be
removed.
The Ditch benefits the City through safe conveyance of stormwater, and rehabilitating the Ditch
provides a low-cost opportunity for the City to improve public safety of its stormwater system.
Accordingly, City Stormwater Utility maintenance crews will assist hauling of woody material
removed by the Company. All material hauled by City crews will be mulched for subsequent
use; no material will be diverted to landfills. Hauling operations may require City crews and
vehicles to work with the Company to access the Ditch within the Company’s access easement,
which crosses various privately-owned parcels. City staff and crews will work with the
Company to minimize impacts to adjacent property owners.
Although the City pays a majority (77%) of annual assessments to the Company, stormwater
benefits are generally not reflected in assessments. Annual assessments fund water deliveries,
which for the City includes raw water supply for Utilities and irrigation water for Parks
properties. City assistance of the Ditch rehabilitation allows the City to cost-share maintenance
and rehabilitation of important stormwater infrastructure.
Staff and/or Company representatives will notify adjacent property owners in person or by letter
prior to commencing maintenance activities. Adjacent landowners may wish to contact
Councilmembers about the Company’s activities.
Adam Jokerst, Water Resources Project Engineer, and Steve Lukowski, Manager of Parks, are
both City employees who sit on the Company’s five-person board of directors.
CC: Kevin R. Gertig, Utilities Executive Director
Wendy Williams, Assistant City Manager
Mike Calhoon, Director of Parks
Amanda King, Communications and Public Involvement Director
Carol Webb, Water Resources and Treatment Operations Manager
Diana Royval, Utilities Communications and Marketing Manager
Ralph Zentz, Interim Forestry Manager
Donnie Dustin, Water Resources Manager
Eric Potyondy, Assistant City Attorney
Theresa Conner, Water Engineering and Field Services Manager
Matt Fater, Interim Water Engineering and Field Services Manager
Andrew Gingerich, Interim Field Operations Manager
Doug Groves, Water Utilities Field Operations Superintendent
Doug Jardine, Storm Water Maintenance Crew Chief
DocuSign Envelope ID: E233C7CF-C459-439B-99C2-99C579F773F3
72,224
12,037.3
FCMaps
This map is a user generated static output from the City of Fort Collins FCMaps
Internet mapping site and is for reference only. Data layers that appear on this
map may or may not be accurate, current, or otherwise reliable.
54,874
City of Fort Collins - GIS
9,146.0
1:
WGS_1984_Web_Mercator_Auxiliary_Sphere
0 4,573.00 9,146.0 Feet
Notes
Legend
Growth Management Area
City Limits
__ Pleasant 2018 Maintenance Valley & Lake Segment Canal
DocuSign Envelope ID: E233C7CF-C459-439B-99C2-99C579F773F3