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Home My WebLink AboutMinutes - Water Resources - 7/19/2004CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO xnauns AND COMMISSIONS MEETING SUMMARY FORM NAME OF BOARD/COMMISSION: Water Resources Advisor Board DATE OF MEETING: Jul 19, 2004 NAME/TELEPHONE OF PERSON PREPARING SUMMARY: Robin Madel, 303-441-4073 NAMES OF MEMBERS, COUNCIL, STAFF AND INVITED GUESTS PRESENT: BOARD MEMBERS - Ken Wilson, Jim Knopf, Gil Barth, Jeannette Hillery, Bart Miller STAFF - Joanna Crean, Robin Madel, Bronwyn Weygand[, Chris Puccio, Don Vet[erling (contracror), Randy Crit[endon WHAT TYPE OF MEETING (BOLD ONE) [REGULAR] [SPECIAL] [QUASI-JUDICIAL] Agenda Item 1- Call to Order. The meetin was called to order at 7:02 .m. Agenda Item 2- Meeting Minutes The meeting minutes from June 21, 2004 were held until the next meeting ro make a correction about the monthly water bill increase. Agenda Item 3- General Public Participation There was none. Generel Public Partici atio~ was closed. Agenda Item 4- Public hearing/WRAB recommendation on the proposed Water Rate Structure (WRAB will determine their recommendation to City Council on how the city should calculate customers' monthly water bills). Joanna Crean gave a brief background on and purpose of the project. Crean described the difference between fixed and shaped water rate svuctures being considered. Crean discussed the staff recommendation to the City Council for a fixed water budget alternative which, the staff feels, has simplicity, clarity, customer understanding and is equitable and faic Crean said that the item will be presented to the City Council on Aug. 3, 2004. Public Comment Gordon Dimmick, 655 Iris Ave., Boulder, said he feels that the city should bill at what the water costs. Dimmick feels that the only way to resvict use is to tell people that they cadt use more water. Dimmick asked what happens to water budgets when people xeriscape their irrigable azea. Bill DeOreo, 303015'~ St. Boulder, said that when the city started this process no one knew what a water budget was and now there is unanimous support for it. DeOreo said that a fixed water budget is similar [o the Average Winter Consumption concept. DeOreo said that so far [he staff hasdt said that they cadt do a water budget because of technical reasons but only because it is difficult. DeOreo feels that a fixed water budget doesdt give [he right amount of water [o enough people. DeOreo said tha[ since we have two years ro set this up we should go for shaped water budgets. Jon Monson, 110010'" St., Greeley, 80631, said he is the director of the Greeley Water and Sewer District and he had questions about the staff recommenda[ion. Monson asked why the staff would assume 58% irrigable area rather than using individual amounts. Also, Monson asked why hisrorical EvapoTranspiration (ET) is recommended versus real time ET. Finally, Monson asked why the city would try to balance the costs of higher [iers of use versus charging a higher rate [ha[ would provide funding [hat could be pu[ in[o conservation. WRAB Questions Questions covered s[affing requirements and associated costs wi[h [he s[aff proposal, appeals process costs, the cost of service s[udy, his[orical ET and winter allotments, direc[ flow, gallons per square foot, the major differences between the fixed and shaped water budget options presented in terms of outdoor al(otment. There was general agreemen[ [hat the exac[ numbers diddt need [o be decided on bu[ the concep[s needed [o be agreed upon. WRAB Discussion The discussion covered each class of service and what the staff and WRAB wanted to recommend to the cit Water Resources Advisory Board Summary Minutes July !9, 2004 Page 1 council. For the Single-Family Residential (SFR) dass, the following concepts were motioned upon as discussed. The following outdoor allotments per household were recommended by the WRAB for Block 3: January - 2000 gal., February - 2000 gal., March - 2000 gal., April - 2000 gal., May - 8000 gal., June - 17,000 gal., July - 22,000 gal., August - 17,000 gal., September - 7000 gal., October - 3000 gal., November - 2000 gal., December - 2000 gal.; where April through October reflect historical ET and [here is no additional allotment for direct flow water rights. The issue of additional water for direct flow will be discussed at a later date. im Kno f motioned to accept the SFR rate structure as recommended using a shaped water budget rate structure with a Block 3 allotment that reflects historic ET (as described above) except during the winter months (Jan., Feb., March, Nov., Dec.) when a 2,000 gallon per month albtment will be used. Ken Wilson seconded the motion. The vote was 5-0 in favor of the motion. For the Multi-Famity Residential (MFR) class, the following concepts were mo[ioned upon as discussed. The following outdoor albtments per living unit were recommended by the WRAB for Block 3: January - 1000 gal. per ]iving unit, February - 1000 gal. per living unit, March - 1000 gal. per living unit, April - 2000 gal., May - 8000 gal., ]une - 17,000 gal., July - 22,000 gaL, August - 17,000 gal., September - 7000 gal., October - 3000 gal., November - 1000 gal. per living unit, December - 1000 gal. per living unit; where April through October reflect historical ET and there is no additional albtment for direct flow water rights. The issue of additional water for direct flow will be discussed at a later date. Ken Wilson motioned to accept the MFR rate structure as recommended using a shaped structure and a Block 3 allotment that reflects historic ET (as described above) except during the winter months (Jan., Feb., March, Nov., Dec.) when a 1,000 gallon per living unit per month allotment will be used. Bart Miller seconded the motion. The vote was 5-0 in favor of the motion. For the CommerciaUlndustrial (GI) class, the following concepts were motioned upon as discussed. Ken Wilson motioned to recommend the shaped water budget structure with a Block 3 allotment of 101%-150% of Average Monthly Use (AMU). Bart Miller seconded the motion. The vote was 5-0 in favor of the motion. For Metered Irrigation accounts, the following concepts were motioned upon as discussed. Ken Wilson motioned to recommend a two block structure where the Bbck 1 allotment equals 100% of AMU or less and Block 2 is anything over 100%. Jim Knoof seconded the motion. The vote was 2-3 in favor of the motion so the motion failed. Further discussion led the WRAB to the following motion for Metered Irrigation accounts where similar shaping is used as in Block 3 of the SFR. Further discussion needs to be held regarding winter watering allotment Gil Barth motioned to recommend the shaped option (Alternative A). Bart Miller seconded the motion. The vnte wac 4-1 in favor of the motion. Agenda Item 5- Non Agenda Items. Matters from the Staff Since Ned Williams did not a[tend [he meeting, no Ma[[ers From S[aff were presented. Matters from the Board Discussion about the rate structure continued. Joanna Crean said that [he s[aff would present the results of [he WRAB meeting to [he city council bu[ there would not be enough time to have the consultant complete an evaluation of the recommended structures. Crean also no[ed [ha[ there was no consensus be[ween [he staff and [he WRAB on the changes recommended at [his meeting but [here is consensus on the concepts. Ccean said that the staff recommended structures and the board recommended structures would be presented to the city council. Water Resources Advisory Baard Summary Minutes July 19, 2004 Page 2 , Ken Wilson motioned that the staff not show the staff recommended structure to the city council. Robin Madel pointed out that since the public hearing had closed and the meeting had moved on ro the Matters from the Board portion, Wilsods motion was out of order. Joanna Crean pointed out ro the board that the staff has said that they can support both a fixed and shaped water budget but they prefer the £ixed optioa Crean urged all the board members to attend the rate structure item discussion at the city council meeting on Aug. 3, 2004. Crean requested a paragraph from the WRAB summarizine the WRAB oosition. Agenda Item 6 - Adjournment Ken Wilson motioned to adjourn the meeting. Jeannette Hillerv seconded the motion. The vote was 5-0 in favor of the motion. The meetine was adiourned a[ 9:43 p.m __ ( Date, Time, and Location of Next Meeting: I Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2004, 7 p.m., special meeting, at the Ci[y Municipal Services Center conference room. Monday, Sept 20, 2004, 7 p.m., regular meeting, at [he City Municipal Services Cen[er conference room. Minutes approved by ~ ~ ~ Date / ~ Water Resources Advisory Board Summary Minutes July I9, 2004 Page 3