Summary Minutes - Water Resources - 8/20/2001
CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING SUMMARY FORM
NAME OF BOARD/COMMISSION: Water Resources Advisory Board
DATE OF MEETING: August 20, 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 and Gil Barth were
absent
STAFF - Ned Williams, Douglas Sullivan, Bob Harberg, Dick Smith (Love and Assoc.) and Vanessa Bonner,
secretary
WHAT TYPE OF MEETING (BOLD ONE) [REGULAR] [SPECIAL] [QUASI-JUDICIAL]
Agenda Item 1 - Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 7:07 .m.
Agenda Item 2 - Approval of June 18, 2001 and June 25, 2001 Meeting Minutes
Jeannette Hillery motioned to approve the minutes from June 18, 2001.
Vicki Naber seconded.
The motion passed unanimously, 3-0. Cal Youngberg and Gil Barth were absent.
Jeannette Hillery motioned to approve the minutes from June 25, 2001.
Bob FiehwejZ seconded.
The motion passed unanimously, 3-0. Cal Youngberg and Gil Barth were absent.
Agenda Item 3 - General Citizen Participation
There was none.
General Citizen Participation was closed.
Agenda Item 4 - Public hearing, discussion and Board recommendation to the City Council on revised
floodplain map changes for Bear Canyon Creek from Foothills Parkway upstream to Broadway (Staff -
Douglas Sullivan).
Douglas Sullivan presented the revisions to the floodplain map for the study area. Love and Assoc. remapped the
drainage way to take into account numerous construction projects over the last 10 years. These projects include 5
underpasses and various channel improvements that take many homes out of the floodplain. The last re-mapping
was done in 1983. Some structures are being put back in at Foothills and Arapahoe due to incorrect previous
mapping. Construction due to the new hospital will also affect the mapping. Staff wants WRAB support on the
proposed changes. Given the proposed changes, there will be only one structure, a residence, in the high hazard
zone.
Citizen Participation and WRAB Comment
Patrick Sandham, 715 Gilpin Drive, Boulder, 80303, has the residence that would be located in the high hazard
zone, would like the city to mitigate the situation by constructing a berm to keep him in the conveyance zone and
out of the high hazard zone.
WRAB Comments
The Board discussed making improvements to single lots and protecting individual structures, home values and
building restrictions in the floodplain, mitigation by the city, city building regulations versus county, state and
federal, acquisition of property other flood lain situations, verifying the data around the residence in the high
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hazard zone, and what the city's recommendation to FEMA will be.
Jeannette Hillery motioned to approve the staff recommendation to the City Council on the revised
floodplain map changes to Bear Canyon Creek from Foothills Parkway upstream to Broadway and
to verify Mr. Sandham's situation and have the staff verify the previous study on the conveyance
versus the high hazard zone.
Vicky Naber seconded.
The vote was 3-0 in favor of the motion. Cal Youngberg and Gil Barth were absent.
Agenda Item 5 - Public hearing, discussion and Board recommendation on Plant Investment Fee increases
in water, wastewater and flood control beginning January 2002 (Staff - Ned Williams).
Ned Williams gave a brief presentation about the increases to utility rates recommended by the Integrated
Utilities Group. The city manager is recommending to the City Council to increase PIFs and the increases are in
the proposed budget. There will be an open house to discuss the increases on August 27 and the issue will be
discussed at the City Council study session on August 28. The staff has not received much feedback from the
public so far. The utilities staff has been working with Housing and Human Services to phase in the increases in
PIFs for affordable housing projects.
Citizen Participation and WRAB Comment
There was none.
WRAB Comments
WRAB comments covered the following:
• Comparisons of Boulder's rates to other communities
• Changes to the recommendations from the numbers presented to the Board 2 months prior
• Encouraging water conservation by increasing PIFs for irrigation
• The increase to the three utility categories
Jeanette Hillery motioned to accept the staff recommendation as written.
Vicky Naber seconded.
The vote was 3-0 in favor of the motion. Cal Youngberg and Gil Barth were absent.
Agenda Item 6 -
A. Matters from the Board
• Vicky Naber asked about operations at Boulder Reservoir. Ned Williams explained the fall operations
schedule and why the reservoir had been emptied.
• Vicky Naber asked about Crestview West and the lowered groundwater in Silver Lake Ditch. Ned Williams
explained the situation in that area to Naber.
• Bob Fiehweg asked about Ordinance 41780, signed by the mayor of Boulder on April 6, 1954 to fluoridate
drinking water. He said the record of fluoridation goes back longer than reported. He asked what the basis for
the ordinance was. Ned Williams will provide info to Board about fluoridation. He spoke about the citizen
task force formed in Ft. Collins.
• The Board made a comment that the Barker Reservoir meetings had been helpful.
B. Matters from the Staff
• On August 27 there will be a public education meeting on FEMA at the East Boulder Rec Center from 6:30
to 8:30.
• The City Council approved the South Boulder Creek process for public input and evaluation of alternatives.
The staff has requested $250K to fund additional studies.
• Gil Barth is the representative to the Greenways Advisory Committee.
• The staff is planning a study session with the City Council on floodplain regulations with a focus on 100- and
500-year flooding, critical facilities and changes to current codes.
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• Eben Fine Apartments will close on August 301h The city is in the process of deconstructing the building and
working with Resource 2000 to recycle building materials.
• Dick Brasher, a Project Engineer in Transportation, left the City of Boulder. Also, Joe Perone, the Director of
Transportation for Public Works, resigned and his last day will be August 31. These key vacancies in the
Transportation Division may result in an overall revamping of the organization.
Agenda Item 7 - Discussion of Future Meeting Dates and Agenda
The regular meeting on September 17, 2001 has been cancelled due to a lack of agenda items.
Agenda Item 8 -Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 8:52 p.m.
Date, Time, and Location of Next Meeting:
October 15, 2001, 7:00 .m., regular meeting, at the City Yards in the Cafeteria.
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