HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.26.2018 WRAB Minutes Signed CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES
Name of Board/Commission: Water Resources Advisory Board
Date of Meeting: 26 February,2018
Contact Information for Person Preparing Minutes: Kaaren Davis,303-441-3233
Board Members Present: Kate Ryan,Kirk Vincent,Lesley Smith,Ted Rose,Mark Squillace
Board Members Absent: none
Staff Present: Jeff Arthur,Director of Public Works for Utilities
Ken Baird,Financial Manager,Public Works
Ward Bauscher,Utilities Maintenance Manager
Douglas Sullivan,Principal Engineer
Meghan Wilson,Communication Manager
MaryAnn Nason,Utilities Outreach Coordinator
Sarah Huntley,Engagement Manager
Katie Knapp,Engineering Project Manager
Bret Linenfelser,Water Quality and Environmental Services Manager
Jody Jacobson,Administrative Services Manager
Kaaren Davis,Board Secretary
Consultants Present: none
Agenda Item 1—Call to Order 6:01 .m.
Agenda Item 2—Approval of the 22 January,2018 Meeting Minutes [6:02 p.m.]
Motion to approve minutes from 22 January,2018 as presented.
Moved by:Rose Seconded by:Vincent
Vote: 5:0
Agenda Item 3—Public Participation and Comment [6:03 p.m.]
Public Comment:
• Henry Adamski: Concerned about sewer maintenance/rehabilitation activities impacting his
home. There has been confusion about the location of his sewer service line tap. He has
concerns about the pipe lining blocking the service line to his house. Staff has not been clear
and responsive to his questions. (Because this issue is not under the board's purview,the
Utilities Maintenance Manager,Ward Bauscher,offered to follow up with Mr.Adamski
personally.)
Agenda Item 4—Information Item—2017 Citywide Participation Efforts [6:16 p.m.]
Sarah Huntley,Meghan Wilson and MaryAnn Nason presented this item
No memo was provided specific to this item.Background material in the form of a memo before council
from 21 November,2017 was provided to the board and will be archived with the meeting materials.
WRAB Board Discussion Included:
• Discussion around balancing broad public interest with the input received from specific
members of the public or from a purely technical perspective.
• Discussion around the idea that CU South should be on the pilot project list for 2018.
• Comment that the engagement spectrum is already how staff interacts with the WRAB.
• Comment that if the public is not allowed to have ongoing involvement through all stages,but
is limited to initial consideration of a project,they will not feel engaged.
• Discussion around the idea that collaborative processes tend to involve those who have an
agenda and often collaborative processes do not involve all perspectives from across the
community.If collaboration is invited,and an expectation is fostered that input will be
incorporated,decisions that may not be in the broader public interest may result.
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Agenda Item 5—Information Item—Utilities Outreach and Communications [7:00 p.m.]
Sarah Huntley,Meghan Wilson and MaryAnn Nason presented this item.
No memo was provided specific to this item.Background material in the form of a memo before council
from 21 November,2017 was provided to the board and will be archived with the meeting materials.
WRAB Board Discussion Included:
• Inquiries around what role,if any Next Door plays in the Utilities communication strategy.
• Questions regarding the top requests/comments submitted to Inquire Boulder.
• Questions about how much traffic through Inquire Boulder is for the Transportation Division as
opposed to the Utilities Division.
• Invitation to think about the"Inform"section of the engagement framework a little more
broadly.Tweets on facts about infrastructure and results of Utilities efforts(water quality,
miles of pipe lined,etc.)would be an excellent way to educate and inform the public on things
they might not know and that would increase understanding.
• Questions regarding efforts to track spikes in Inquire Boulder around particular issues,and to
put forward issues that the public brings up frequently,as with FAQ's.
• Questions regarding whether an opportunity for public engagement should be provided after a
decision has been reached and a direction established,in appropriate situations.
• Questions as to how,with any large undertaking,the public can be kept informed during an
extended process,so that they do not feel surprised at the end.
• Discussion around the concept that engagement is not just about having people attend the
meetings,so much as ensuring that they are adequately informed on the issues and educated
about the infrastructure involved.
• Suggestions to have an email with links that the board could use to share information easily
with interested members of the public.
• Interest expressed in social media materials and outlets being used to share information.
Agenda Item 6-Matters from Board: _ [7:43 p.m.]
• Rose:Broadway head gate at Boulder Creek. Concerns about safety and public access.
• Public hearing and consideration of a proposed amendment to the WRAB bylaws:
Proposed is the deletion from section 3.3 of the WRAB bylaws,third to the last sentence,of the
words"but are discouraged from engaging in substantive debate with witnesses".
Public Comment on proposed amendment to WRAB bylaws:
• Carl Norby:The board is dotting the I's instead of addressing the whole paragraph.The board
does not listen.Mr.Adamski got shut off earlier in the evening.The board needs to listen to
what they say about their position on engagement and then look at why people do not engage
with them.People don't have time to say what they need to say.Trying to clean up a little thing
and need to be cleaning up a big thing. South Boulder and Bear Creeks will tell the board what
it wants to hear,or maybe what it doesn't want to hear.Has come to 90%of the WRAB
meetings for a long while.Problems persist from meeting to meeting.Figure out what the board
is supposed to be doing.The earlier presentation was nonsense.The board should have been
moving on to something substantive.The white on green print in the outreach presentation is
not an effective way to communicate.People can't read it. South Boulder Creek was showing
as a problem in 1934.It is still a problem today.Why are the board and the city not prioritizing
it?
WRAB discussion included:
• Questions around what is standard regarding this issue with other city boards.
• Clarification that the board is an advisory body but not a decision-making body and that it is
not the board's role to engage in debate with members of the public providing their input to the
board for consideration in the board's recommendations to Council.
• Discussion around the idea that some give and take provides value to the public who wishes to
speak,and may help with engagement by making those who choose to speak feel heard.
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• Comment that the role of the chair is to manage discussion,and it would be the responsibility
of the chair to ensure that discussion with speakers stayed productive and appropriate.
• Concerns expressed that debate with speakers may dissuade other speakers who are not
comfortable with it.
Motion:Move to approve changes to the WRAB bylaws as follows: Section 3.3,third to last
sentence to read: "Board members may ask questions of speakers to seek clarification of the
speakers'position."
Moved By: Smith Seconded By: Rose
Vote: 4-1 (Ryan Dissenting)
Minority opinion: Substantive debate with speakers from the public is not an appropriate role for
the WRAB.
Agenda Item 7—Matters from Staff: [8:10 p.m.]
• Utility Rate Structure Implementation Update:Update on the effects of the rate structure
implementation.Details provided on average increases across the types of accounts and
between city and outside city customers.Updates provided on customer feedback to the rate
changes and discussion of the role of assumed meter sizes for wastewater only customers on
the increases. A form is provided to affected customers to audit and establish a more accurate
meter size assumption if requested.This may result in a drop in their bills. Staff is monitoring
the reduced indoor water budget for single family versus the multi-family budget which was
not decreased.This may shift some of the revenue burden to single family customers.
• Information Item Flood/Greenways Maintenance Water Quality Update: The city is
utilizing a lot of resources across multiple departments to address the issue of homeless
encampments.Utilities mainly concerned with water quality issues and with blockages in flood
control structures.Updates on costs related to cleanups and evolving use of contractors in this
role.
• Hogan Pancost property: Moving forward with the purchase of this property.Funding will
come from the general fund. Council will further evaluate potential use of the site for Utility
related purposes in October.
• Open Space Board of Trustees(OSBT): Discussed South Boulder Creek. Supportive of
alternatives with different but potentially net positive impacts to open space including removal
of CU South levy.
• Upper Goose Creek/Towmile Canyon Creek flood mitigation update:There will be an
open house prior to the meeting in March.It is scheduled as a public hearing even though
WRAB is taking no action, so that staff may gather input from public and the board. Staff is
putting together a self-guided tour of some points along the watershed.
Agenda Item 8—Future Schedule 18:42 p.m.]
• March 19°i:Upper Goose Creek/Twomile Canyon Creek flood mitigation open house and
input. CIP Kickoff.Brief discussion of hot topics for 2018
Adjournment [8:43 p.m.]
There being no further business to come before the Board at this time,by motion regularly adopted,the
meeting was adjourned at 8:43 p.m.
Motion to adjourn by: Smith Seconded by: Squillace
Motion Passes 5:0
Date,Time,and Location of Next Meeting:
The next WRAB meeting will be Monday,March 19", 2018 at 6:00 p.m.,at the City's Municipal
Services Center,5050 Pearl St. Boulder CO 80301
APPROVED BY: ATTESTED BY:
Board Chair: Board Secretary: �L 0 4 -A 4
Date: / (O ( Date: r{�_1_ap
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An audio recording of the full meeting for which these minutes are a summary is available on the Water
Resources Advisory Board web page.
bttns://bouldercolorado.gov/boards-commissions/water-resources-advisory-board-next-meeting-agenda-and-packet
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