5.21.2018 WRAB Signed Minutes CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES
Name of Board/Commission: Water Resources Advisory Board
Date of Meeting:21 May,2018
Contact Information for Person Preparing Minutes: Jody Jacobson,303-441-3122
Board Members Present:Kate Ryan,Kirk Vincent,Lesley Smith,Ted Rose,Trisha Oeth
Board Members Absent:none
Staff Present: Jeff Arthur,Director of Public Works for Utilities
Ken Baird,Financial Manager,Public Works
Douglas Sullivan,Utilities Principal Engineer
Joe Taddeucci,Water Resources Manager
Chris Douville,Wastewater Treatment Manager
Cole Sigmon,Treatment Process Engineer
Kaaren Davis,Board Secretary
Jody Jacobson,Board Secretary
Agenda Item 1—Call to Order 16:00 p.m.]
Agenda Item 2—Approval of the 16 April,2018 Meeting Minutes 16:01 p.m.1
Motion to approve minutes from 16 April,2018 as presented.
Moved by: Rose Seconded by: Ryan
Vote: 5:0
Agenda Item 3—Public Comment 16:02 p.m.]
• Henry E.Adamski: Large increases in all three utilities for the whole century. Did research
at the Library. Looked up cost of living increases for people on Social Security and inflation
data from Division of Labor statistics. Compared to Utilities rate increase. From Aug.8,2010
Daily Camera,there is a list of 10 years of rate increases. Then,looked at rate increases
provided in bill inserts up until this year and called for this year's increases. (Now you have to
call and ask them for rate increases;no longer in the bills.) Made a spreadsheet comparing the
data. Some data points are challenging to compute because the Cost of Living is a 0 and some
inflation points were negatives. (Copies of spreadsheet were provided for the board.) Tried to
figure out what the averages were for the century. For water:361%or 507%depending on
whether looking at cost of living or inflation.For wastewater:520%or 2080%.For stormwater:
636%or 4651%. Would like board to manage the rate increases.Mr.Adamski's spreadsheet
was scanned into the archived meeting folders.
• Kathie Joyner: Sent a video to the board members from last Friday's afternoon storm on
Qualla Drive.Within minutes,covered the entire street,sidewalk and into yards.That water
didn't include flood waters overtopping US 36. You can imagine how quickly things turn
serious and life threatening when water is rising and flood water is overtopping US 36.You've
likely already seen some of the options that staff and consultants will be considering and
analyzing for flood mitigation on South Boulder Creek.We understand these will be presented
to boards and council soon for a selection of a mitigation alternative to be advanced from
concept phase to the preliminary design phase. All the options have to meet a certain baseline
criteria that include: it must prevent the overtopping of US 36; it must be permittable by
regulatory agencies; it must be acceptable for the State Engineer's Office; landowners must be
willing to allow the construction;and impacts to groundwater must be mitigated. The option
chosen must prevent overtopping of US 36.All of the options should meet these baseline
criteria. We urge you to pick the one that can be implemented as quickly as possible. No
perfect solution,but there are options that meet the goal which is preventing the overtopping of
US 36.As council member Sam Weaver mentioned:"Let's not let the perfect get in the way of
good." We appreciate your support for this project. Please help us move it forward in order to
protect the thousands of residents downstream.
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• Clinton Heiple: Frasier Meadows Retirement Community resident. Here to remind you that
it's been almost 5 years since flood,and not a single shovel has moved to help provide flood
mitigation for South Boulder. The plan approved by the city involves building a bene along
US 36 on land owned by the University of Colorado.There are several consequences of this
that are obvious but seldom mentioned,so I will. Strongly suspect CU didn't buy land for a
dog park for the neighborhood. They could put up a fence next week if they wish.CU wants
something in return for allowing the berm to be built on their land and for dedicating a
substantial fraction of their land to open space. That something is city water and sewer service.
The obvious way for that to happen is to annex the land,but if the situation is too toxic,we can
probably find some other way to make it happen. Hope to live long enough to see something
happen. Really hope we don't need another flood,to get several people killed,and massive
property damage,to get action on flood mitigation. Climate change means such events are
becoming more likely,so there will be another flood,we just don't know when. We need
action on flood mitigation for South Boulder.
Board discussion included:
• Suggestion on where to get precipitation data online at CoCoRaHS website.
• Explanation for timing for flood mitigation in South Boulder Creek.
• Question about emergency notification and what organization manages that.
Agenda Item 4—Information Item-Capital Improvements Program 16:15 p.m.]
Ken Baird and Douglas Sullivan presented this item.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
As part of the city's annual budget process,Utilities develops a six-year planning budget,this year for
the time period of 2019 through 2024. The Water Resources Advisory Board(WRAB)role in this
process is defined in the Boulder Revised Code:".. .to review all environmental assessments and
capital improvements conducted or proposed by the utilities division" Utilities staff has formulated
initial revenue and expenditure projections for each of the three utility funds through the year 2024.
Within the budget process.City Council approves and appropriates funds only for the first year,2019.
WRAB will be asked to make a recommendation to City Council regarding the 2019-2024 CIP at its
June meeting. The Planning Board will review the complete city CIP,including utilities,in July. City
Council will discuss the CIP in August at a study session,and the overall budget is scheduled to be
adopted by City Council in October.
This packet contains the draft proposed 2019 Utilities Budget and 2019-2024 Utilities CIP. The fund
financials(Attachment A)have been updated to reflect actual revenues and expenditures for 2017,and
the revised budget for 2018. At this point 2017 financial information is unaudited and may have some
adjustments as fiscal year 2017 is closed out. The operating budget is in its early stages of development
so related revisions are also anticipated. The draft proposed CIP spreadsheets for Water,Wastewater
and Stormwater Flood Management are included in Attachment B.
WRAB Discussion Included:
• Question about what in the soil is aggressive to the piping.
• Question about Gregory Canyon and what would it have taken to accomplish 100-year
mitigation.
• Questions about how cleaning out culvert is budgeted. Is it from the same funding as the
drainageway maintenance?
• Questions about whether the city has control over the areas people have raised concerns about
(easements). Does the city have access to areas that need improvement?
• Questions about where maintenance work is focused for 2019.
• Support for drainageway maintenance.
• Question about how is a maintenance program a capital program?
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• Support for rehabilitating Barker Gravity Pipeline. Question about whether there are any
communities looking into putting in wells and pumping water through a well but leaving the
water in the stream instead of a pipe.
• Suggestion around comparing flood insurance policy data with a map to show significance of
Boulder's flood risk.
• Suggestion of a way to compare communities'flood risk differences:miles of FEMA floodway
per square mile.
• Question about higher risk of flooding in Boulder but rates are only about$3 higher. Why go
with a lower rate if the needs are that high?(Why go with a 5%increase instead of a 7%?)
• Question about whether most of the mitigation plans need bonding.
• Question about hydro program spending for 2019 in the water fund and would like more
information on the variety of projects budgeted.
• Suggestion about debt obligation: next year,we pay off Barker Reservoir,and the city should
acknowledge the milestone.
• Support for the rate increases to continuing serving the needs of the community,and also
continuing to be conscientious about rate increases and the impacts on community members,
including commercial/industrial and disadvantaged customers.
• Question about how many turn-offs we see for people who are delinquent on bills.
• Comment about being sensitive about rates since other departments are experiencing budget
cuts.
• Questions about giving water to other city departments and comments about the practices of
other cities.
• Question about how giving water to other city departments for free affects metrics when
comparing to other utilities.
• Comment about how salaries aren't tracking with rate increases might be a useful metric.
• Suggestions for other ways explain what the rates pay for,including what isn't known or
shown. Some suggestions: Miles of line per capita. Miles of line divided by wastewater
charge. Miles of line by age. Value of the system. Compare rates to other types of bills like
Xcel,cell,cable,trash bills.
• Comments that the flood insurance premium data was helpful. Suggestions to show it per
capita and combine with property value.
• Suggestion for more infographics to help tell the story.
• Comment that expressing as percentages presents distorted result.
• Support for raising the rates,but timing it with rate structure changes in 2018 was unfortunate
timing and had an impact on some.
• Discussion around what rates to recommend to City Council. Support for higher rate increases,
but sensitivities to timing and other concerns for not wanting to push off rate increases to later.
Agenda Item 5—Matters from the Board 17:49 p.m.1
WRAB Discussion Included:
• Flood mitigation and goals for what level of flood we should be mitigating for and how to
ensure equitable treatment.
• Question about what the board will be able to learn about and weigh in on in the master plan.
• Discussion about South Boulder Creek open house participation and representation at City
Council Meeting on May 22 for potential questions from council.
• Question about South Boulder Creek hydrology study.
• Question about Stormwater Master Plan timeline and when the board will get a chance to look
at priority projects.
• Question about next steps on Twomile project and timing.
• Comment about being at public meetings for flood mitigation studies—community likes it,but
unfortunate that not highly attended.
Agenda Item 6—Matters from Staff 18:08 p.m.1
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• Update on weekend's storms.
WRAB Discussion Included:
• Discussion of reports from community members—some wet basements.
Agenda Item 7—Discussion of Future Schedule 18:14 p.m.1
• Discussion of June schedule occurred at start of meeting.
• Suggestion of future meeting locations at 631 or Betasso to see projects at each facility.
Adjournment 18:16 p.m.]
There being no further business to come before the Board at this time,by motion regularly adopted,the
meeting was adjourned at 8:16 p.m.
Motion to adjourn by:Vincent Seconded by: Rose
Motion Passes 5:0
Date,Time,and Location of Next Meeting:
The next WRAB meeting will be Monday,June 18,2018 at 6:00 p.m.,at the City's Municipal
Services Center,5050 Pearl St.,Boulder,CO 80301
APPROVED BY: /�� ATTESTED BY:
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Board Chair: 4 Board Secretary: �L4,,
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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.
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WRAB Minutes
5121/2018
Page No.4