Summary Minutes - Water Resources - 2/26/2001
CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING SUMMARY FORM
NAME OF BOARD/COMMISSION: Water Resources Advisory Board
DATE OF MEETING: February 26, 2001
NAME/TELEPHONE OF PERSON PREPARING SUMMARY: Robin Madel, 303-441-4073
NAMES OF MEMBERS, COUNCIL, STAFF AND INVITED GUESTS PRESENT:
BOARD MEMBERS - Robert Fiehweg, Jeannette Hillery, Vicki Naber: Cal Youngberg was absent
STAFF - Ned Williams, Chris Rudkin, Carol Ellinghouse, Paul Lander, Robin Madel, secretary
WHAT TYPE OF MEETING (BOLD ONE) [REGULAR] [SPECIAL] [QUASI-JUDICIAL]
The meeting was called to order at 7:09 p.m.
Agenda Item 1 - Approval of December 18, 2000 Meeting Minutes
Vicki Naber motioned to approve the minutes.
Jeannette Hillery seconded.
The motion passed unanimously, 3-0.
Agenda Item 2 - General Citizen Participation
There was none.
Agenda Item 3 - Staff update on the lease of Windy Gap water to the Calpine Corporation for use as
cooling water at a newly-constructed electrical generating facility in Colorado (Staff - Carol Ellinghouse).
Carol Ellinghouse presented the lease agreement which was approved by the City Council at their meeting on
February 20, 2001. This item was supposed to be presented to the WRAB at the January meeting (before the City
Council meeting) but that meeting was cancelled. She went over all aspects of the contract and the benefits to the
city of Boulder. The WRAB was very supportive of the arrangement and felt that it was a winning agreement for
all involved parties. The agreement will allow for diversion of 30 units of Windy Gap water from the Windy Gap
Reservoir to be sold to Calpine as re-use water. The water will be delivered to a combined cycle power station in
Hudson, Colorado that is being constructed by the Calpine Corporation. The Fish and Wildlife Service issued a
report stating that existing and a limited amount of future diversions of water from the reservoir (and therefore the
Colorado River) will not be harmful to aquatic environments. The project will bring in a significant amount of
money to the city and will be used to offset further rate increases.
Citizen Participation and WRAB Comment
There was none.
Agenda Item 4 - Staff update on the city Environmental Management Audit and the part dealing with city
irrigation water use (Staff - Paul Lander).
Paul Lander discussed the study session held on February 13, 2001 between the City Council, the WRAB, the
Environmental Advisory Board (EAB) and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB). The session was
conducted to discuss the Environmental Audit, which covers Water Conservation and Integrated Pest
Management (IPM). The main focus of the session ended up being the city of Boulder's IPM program.
Proportionately little time was given to the city's Water Conservation program.
The WRAB and staff discussed water re-use and whether or not it was feasible within the city of Boulder. Many
of the water rights that the city holds are for one-time use of the water.
The WRAB and staff also discussed water allocations within city of Boulder departments.
The WRAB would like a forum for addressing other boards and the City Council. They asked to have a position
paper drafted that they can recommend to the other boards and the Council at future meetings. The position paper
could also help the consultant hired to prepare the Environmental Audit to prepare the final report. The WRAB is
concerned that the water conservation issue was underplayed in the draft audit and would like to take an official
position.
By the next meeting, staff will have an outline of the position paper developed.
Citizen Participation and WRAB comment.
There was none.
Agenda Item 5 - A short history and showing of the videotape from the Environmental Center of the
Rockies (Staff - Paul Lander).
The video was shown and the implications of the project were discussed.
Agenda Item 6 - Matters from the Board
■ The WRAB asked about the South Boulder Creek Floodplain Study. Ned Williams reported that the Open
Space department has said that they need to hire a new consultant to generate a new list of options for the
South Boulder Creek Floodplain Study. Bill DeGroot from Urban Drainage addressed the City Council and
said that the final decision of what to do with the creek will rest with the agencies.
Agenda Item 7 - Matters from Staff
■ The acquisition of Barker Reservoir will close on Thursday or Friday (3/1/01 or 3/2/01).
■ The Lakewood Pipeline project is being reviewed by the Forest Service staff with hopes of a revised decision
by the end of March.
■ The city has negotiated the purchase of conservation easements within Caribou Ranch. The deal should be
presented to the County Commissioners by the end of March 2001. Conservation easements limit, but do not
prevent, development.
■ Staff is preparing the 2002 budget and will bring the conceptual budget to the WRAB in March or April.
Sales tax revenues were better than expected for December 2000 and were up 4% to 5% over last year,
however Crossroads was down approximately 25%.
■ The staff is working on a rate study and has hired a consultant, Integrated Utilities Group, to perform the
study.
■ The WRAB board has 2 vacancies and the city received 3 applications. Interviews will be conducted on
March 15 and a decision and appointments will be made on March 20.
■ Staff is continuing to work with the Open Space department on the pipeline project to get water to Lafayette
at 75 h St. The project is going well.
■ The Automatic Meter Reading project is continuing and is going well.
Agenda Item 8 -Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 9:09 p.m.
Date, Time, and Location of Next Meeting:
March 26, 2001, 7:00 .m., at the West Senior Center, Creekside Room