HomeMy WebLinkAbout7 - Update: City Council Study Session in 2008 about Water Budgets
CITY OF BOULDER
WATER RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD
AGENDA ITEM
MEETING DATE: November 19, 2007
AGENDA TITLE: Update and discussion about the City Council Study Session in
2008 about Water Budgets
PRESENTERS: Ned Williams, Director of Public Work for Utilities
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City Council has tentatively scheduled February 12, 2008 as a Study Session date to discuss
the Water Budget rate stricture.
Water budgets were implemented January 2007 and since then, the WRAB and staff have been
collecting information and developing ideas about possible changes to water budgets. Most
recently, the WRAB has reflected its thoughts through a motion (Attachment A) approved on
October 15, 2007.
In anticipation of the Study Session, a WRAB/staff consensus model similar to the Carter Lake
Pipeline topic has been suggested as a beneficial way to provide City Council with information
about the next step for Water Budgets.
Staff is supportive of developing a WRAB/staff consensus and would like to know if WRAB
members are interested, too. If so, WRAB could appoint a sub-committee to meet (outside of
regular WRAB meeting), develop and work with staff on drafting a consensus paper to be
presented to WRAB for its consideration. A draft outline for the written memo in the Study
Session packet is included as Attachment B. The schedule could be as follows:
Nov 19 - WRAB meeting
Nov 30 - First draft of Study Session packet
Dec 17 - WRAB meeting
Jan 11 - Second draft of Study Session packet (consensus paper nearly complete, if
applicable)
Jan xx - Possible WRAB meeting to discuss, revise and/or approve
Jan 30 - Finalize Study Session packet and deliver to City Manager's Office
Feb 1 - Begin to develop Power Point presentation
Feb xx - Possible WRAB meeting to discuss, revise and/or approve
Feb 11 - Finalize Power Point presentation
Feb 12 - City Council Study Session
ATTACHMENTS:
A - WRAB Motion approved October 15, 2007
B - Draft Outline for Study Session Packet
AGENDA ITEM 9 PAGE 1
Attachment A
WRAB motion approved (5-0) on October 15, 2007
WHEREAS, Rule 5.c as drafted in January 2007 for the non-residential customers is so rigid
that it makes it impossible to achieve the objectives of the city code (Chapter 4-20(b)2), and it
should be modified to allow a wider range of methods to be used for determining commercial
industrial water budgets. For instance the rule could allow AMU or other appropriate methods
needed to achieve an accurate and practical water budget for CI customers to be used. It was a
mistake to limit the approach to one very narrow method. Where ambiguity or conflicts exist,
the City Manager should use the Water Budget Adjustment process (Rule 6) to make the
necessary corrections; and
WHEREAS, we do not believe that a study session is needed prior to taking this limited action
since council has already established a clear policy of granting individual customers water
budgets that meet their reasonable requirements for indoor and outdoor uses. Rule 5.c needs to
be modified to make it more flexible in order to accommodate the many individual
circumstances of the CI customers. We advise that the manager and staff be instructed to
formulate custom water budgets as required in the Code, in co-operation with the customers,
which achieve the goals of the ordinance.
NOW, THEREFORE, WRAB recommends, after consideration of the above listed recitals, that
the City Manager and Staff be instructed to take the following actions: 1) move ahead to provide
monthly or annual budgets based on indoor and outdoor requirements for non-residential
customers with combined water meters (those serving both indoor and outdoor uses); 2)
formulate methods of providing proper budgets to multi-family and CI customers with multiple
meters and/or unpredictable monthly demand patterns, and to customers with unique problems;
and 3) the City Manager be instructed to report back to Council on the solutions that have been
found for the various problems brought by the customers as part of the study session currently
scheduled for sometime in 2008. WRAB strongly advises against waiting for the study session to
begin this process since by then it will probably be too late to effect the necessary changes for
the 2008 irrigation season.
AGENDA ITEM 9 PAGE 2
Attachment B
Water Budget Study Session, February 12, 2008
OUTLINE: draft 11-13-07
1. Purpose
II. Questions (preliminary) for Council
1. Does Council have any questions about how water budgets were developed
and implemented?
2. Does Council have any questions about the Jan-Dec 2007 water use and
revenue data?
3. Does Council have any questions about the problems, issues and concerns
about water budgets that have been expressed by customers?
4. Does Council have any questions about the WRAB/staff consensus
recommendation and next steps?
5. Does Council have any questions about additional recommendations?
III. Background / History
IV. Water Budget Methodologies we are using today
- Previous 3-block structure
- Rules for Water Budgets
- Water Budget Adjustments (process, review and approval, outcomes)
V. Water Metrics
- January through December 2007 water use and revenue
- Total use and revenue for each Customer Class by billing block
VI. Problems, Issues and Concerns
- What have we heard about?
- What have we heard are possible solutions?
- What could be possible impacts to disclose?
VII. WRAB/staff Consensus Recommendation
- Recommendation on changes to implement
- Analysis to implement recommendation
o Cost and time line to implement
o Use and Revenue changes (if any) to each customer class
o Annual Revenue impact and analysis
o Council action/Ordinance (if any) to adjust rates mid-year
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VIII. Questions for Council (restated)
IX. Next Steps
AGENDA ITEM 9 PAGE 3