HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.15.24 WRAB MinutesWRAB Minutes
07/15/2024
Page No. 1
CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES
Name of Board / Commission: Water Resources Advisory Board
Date of Meeting: 15 July 2024
Contact Information for Person Preparing Minutes: Karen Sheridan, 303-441-3208
Board Members Present: John Berggren, Amy Broughton, Katie Bridges, Steve Maxwell
Staff Present: Joe Taddeucci, Director of Utilities
Joanna Bloom, Utilities Deputy Director of Policy and Planning
Chris Douville, Utilities Deputy Director of Operations
Chris Douglass, Utilities Engineering Manager
Stephanie Klingeman, Principal Budget Analyst
Meghan Wilson Outcalt, Water Quality Senior Manager
Meghan Chantler, Water Quality Compliance Program Manager
Michael Lawlor, Urban Water Quality Program Coordinator
Brandon Coleman, Storm/Flood Engineering Project Manager
Kate Dunlap, Drinking Water Quality Manager
Kevin Koryto, Stormwater Quality Manager
John Stoddard, Water Treatment Manager
Krystle Morey, Water Resources Engineer
Andrew Walker, Utilities Budget Analyst
Karen Sheridan, Board Secretary
Agenda Item 1 – Call to Order [6:00 p.m.]
Agenda Item 2 – Approval of 17 June 2024 Meeting Minutes [6:01 p.m.]
Motion to approve: Broughton Seconded by: Bridges
Vote: 4:0
Agenda Item 3 – Public Participation and Comment [6:02 p.m.]
Lynne Segal: On the last meeting I was jumping back and forth between the Colorado River
project at the JCC and the EV demonstration project and trying to come at the time that I could speak,
multiple times, and I still didn't get to speak. So, I'm very resentful that you cannot somehow
accommodate people who also have very busy lives. I mean, it's so ironic. I was trying to follow the
Colorado River project. and I'm distracted with a WRAB meeting, and then I don't even get to speak.
There's something really wrong with that. And there's something really wrong with the fact that this time
I can't have my 3 minutes back. That's not okay. Just saying. Now, John Berggren works at WRA, which
is the site of a water demonstration project for nonpoint source pollution. It was built in the nineties. It's
going to be demolished. It's horrific that WRAB didn't have something to do with the preservation of
this project with the basin project, if you've heard of that acronym. There were 4 demonstration projects
in the State of Colorado. The site at Baseline and Broadway on the southwest corner was designed as a
demonstration project for stormwater runoff, such that it could be absorbed and filtered on site with 3
ponds and the various landscaping accoutrements that were done to it, and because the Planning Board
offered the developer 16,000 extra square feet (since we're going from commercial to housing in this
community), the developer argued that he couldn't fit the parking for all of that conversion from
commercial to residential. Where WRA is, I don't think they're there now. Maybe they are, John, I don't
know, but they were. Their argument for demolition was that they couldn't fit the parking for all of that
residential on it. Then why did this ever happen? The boards need to work integratively between the
Planning Board and you and others and the Landmarks Board? Because this place should never have
been demolished. It isn't yet, but it will be. And that's just not okay, either. And all this development
with the crisis of water that we have. Water is life. CU South. the east campus, the airport, and the
planning reserve all should not happen. And you need to do something about this, because it affects your
position. Done.
Staff Response to Public Comment
Director Taddeucci answered it is spelled out in the city’s charter that the WRAB shall not involve itself
in land use matters. Regarding the missed speaking opportunity, he referenced the erroneous posted
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07/15/2024
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public comment time for the June meeting and acknowledged that the public was offered a second
opportunity to speak later in that meeting. There were no action items on the June meeting agenda and
public is always welcome to provide public comment to the board and staff via email.
Agenda Item 4 – Public Hearing and Consideration of Recommendation Regarding [6:06 p.m.]
the 2025-2030 Capital Improvement Program
Chris Douglass, Utilities Engineering Manager and Stephanie Klingeman, Financial Analyst for
Utilities, presented this item.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As part of the city’s annual budget process, Utilities staff develops a six-year planning budget. The
Water Resources Advisory Board (WRAB) role in this process, as defined in the Boulder Revised Code,
includes reviewing all capital improvements conducted or proposed by the Utilities department and
making recommendations to City Council regarding the proposed capital budget. Utilities staff has
formulated revenue and expenditure projections for each of the three utility funds for the years 2025
through 2030 (see Attachment A, Schedules 1-7). The City Council approves and appropriates funds
only for the next year (2025). The 2025 proposed rate increases would result in a total increase of
approximately $9 to the average monthly utility bill for a single-family residential customer. The
proposed budget reflects a commitment to reinvest in critical infrastructure to maintain levels of service
to the community in alignment with the department’s master plans and Asset Inventory & Maintenance
(AIM) methodology.
At the June 17, 2024 WRAB meeting, staff presented the preliminary projected six-year capital
improvement program (CIP) with associated rate increases. Board discussion followed, which included
questions about utility project focus areas, capital reserves, bonding strategies, fund management, and
the Gregory Canyon Creek project.
The purpose of this memo is to discuss WRAB feedback from June and provide further information to
inform a recommendation by WRAB to City Council on the proposed 2025 CIP and associated rate
increases.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the WRAB make the following motion related to the 2025–2030 CIP and 2025
budget:
Motion 1
The Water Resources Advisory Board recommends approval of the Albion Dam 2022-2025, Watershed
Hydrology 2023-2026, Watershed EAP and Seismic Analysis 2023-2026, Barker Dam Work 2024-2030,
and WRRF Phosphorus Treatment Improvements 2022-2026 in the 2025 to 2030 CIP for the Water and
Wastewater Utilities.
Motion 2
The Water Resources Advisory Board recommends that City Council approve the 2025 Capital
Improvement Program for the remaining projects in the Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater & Flood
Management Utilities including proposed rate adjustments to support 2025 revenue increases of 8% in
the Water Utility, 6% in the Wastewater Utility, and 5% in the Stormwater & Flood Management
Utility.
WRAB Member Disclosures:
Board Member Broughton has previously disclosed she is an employee of Stantec Engineering. Stantec
is currently involved in several water and wastewater projects including the Albion Dam project,
Watershed hydrology project, Watershed EAP and seismic analysis project, the Barker Dam work and
the WRRF phosphorous treatment improvements project. She is not personally involved in any of those
projects but will recuse herself from recommending these specific projects in the CIP.
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WRAB Clarifying Questions Included:
•Question about reasons for accelerated schedule of Treated Water Transmission System and
secondary Clarifier projects.
•Comment about impact of fixed charges and increased rate percentages on water bills.
•Question if percentage of the bill that is fixed versus variable is typical compared to other
municipalities.
•Question if there has been consideration of a hardship rate.
•Question if proposed rate increase is applied the same over all usage blocks.
•Question about timing of rate study.
Public Participation:
Lynne Segal: So, to make things fair in this community, you know, there's a lot of wealthy people in
this community that are pushing all these major development projects like the planning area reserve
Area III, like CU South, like the airport, like the east campus, like the quantum physics huge thing at
CU. These things grow our community massively. And for one, you're going to have more and more,
higher and higher stormwater and flooding and major infrastructure jobs to do over time, without it
being accounted for by the ability of the folks to pay for it. And I mean, even the rich folks aren't going
to be able to pay for it at this rate. This is just unacceptable. And if you want to develop all these extra
projects, you need to be the ones on the front line, and the Planning Board and the
Landmarks Board, and the HAB and the TAB, that were defunded in so many areas of this city
government. And we can't be buying up things that we don't have the money to pay for. And the people
in this community get it dumped on them. Like I always say, let the developer pay. CU is floating in the
bucks. The developers in this town, the Moxie on The Hill, the Conference Center, like there are so
many big profit issues coming to this community, and water is life. And this is your responsibility, and
you know this. I'm not telling you anything new. I don't care to be here to speak down to you, to speak to
you what is obvious. This is all obvious. You all know this, but you really need to stand up and speak to
the origin of the issues, not just tweaking around the water bill a little bit, but looking at the 30,000-foot
perspective of what we are getting ourselves into with a greater population and the limited water
opportunities in this semi-arid state. It's just not okay to use, use, use and then and not anticipate. I
mean, Joanna was telling me. Yeah, we have all this infrastructure. Yes? Well, that infrastructure needs
to be added into each house that's built here, each project that goes in, each big project that goes in all
over town, each infill thing, all the things that build population and water demand.
Board Chair Response:
Chair invited Director to respond to what growth means for water and the Utilities Department.
Staff Response:
Director spoke about modeling used by staff, consideration of growth scenarios, city council priorities
aimed at improved housing opportunities and city policies that do not support unlimited growth.
WRAB Board Discussion Included:
The board presented no further questions.
Staff Response:
Staff presented no further response.
First Motion:
The Water Resources Advisory Board recommends approval of the Albion Dam 2022-2025, Watershed
Hydrology 2023-2026, Watershed EAP and Seismic Analysis 2023-2026, Barker Dam Work 2024-
2030, and WRRF Phosphorus Treatment Improvements 2022-2026 in the 2025 to 2030 CIP for the
Water and Wastewater Utilities.
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Moved by: Maxwell Seconded by: Bridges
Motion Passes: 3:0; Broughton recuses
Second Motion:
The Water Resources Advisory Board recommends that City Council approve the 2025 Capital
Improvement Program for the remaining projects in the Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater & Flood
Management Utilities including proposed rate adjustments to support 2025 revenue increases of 8% in
the Water Utility, 6% in the Wastewater Utility, and 5% in the Stormwater & Flood Management
Utility.
Moved by: Bridges Seconded by: Broughton
Motion Passes: 4:0
Agenda Item 5 – Water Quality Updates [6:35 p.m.]
Meghan Wilson Outcalt, Meghan Chantler, and Michael Lawlor, presented this item.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Boulder–Utilities Department is committed to providing safe, high-quality drinking water
and sustaining and improving water resources for the benefit of drinking water, recreation, aquatic life
and downstream users. This memo provides timely updates on three key initiatives in the Drinking
Water and Stormwater Quality programs in 2024, including the Water Service Line Inventory, Eurasian
watermilfoil in Boulder Reservoir, and Boulder Creek water quality.
WRAB Board Discussion Included:
•Question about geographic location of lines with unknown material.
•Question when copper lines first came into widespread used.
•Question if structures built in the early 1900s would have been refitted subsequent to their
original construction. If so, what would have driven the replacement process.
•Question why old lines would have been replaced and if lead was used in the early
1900s.
•Question where Boulder residents could have drinking water samples tested for lead.
•Question about process if lead line discovered and needs replacement.
•Question about the Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) reduction goal.
•Question about reliance on herbicides.
•Question about effectiveness and goals of water level management.
•Question about timing of herbicide use related to recreation season.
•Question about the original source of EWM.
•Question if manual removal of EWM would be effective in the areas near treatment plant
intakes.
•Question about frequency of E. coli monitoring on Boulder Creek.
•Question about purpose of specific locations for E. coli monitoring sites.
•Question about actions taken if significant increase in E. coli concentration is found.
Agenda Item 6 – Matters from Board [7:15 p.m.]
No matters were presented.
Agenda Item 7 – Matters from Staff [7:15 p.m.]
•Sustainable Grass Conversion Project (Turf Replacement)
-Pilot project on northeast corner of Baseline and 30th Street.
-Focused on residential-scale turf conversion efforts without herbicide use.
-Irrigation system modifications and turf removal begin next week.
-Communication with public via letters, postcards and yard sign.
-Three versions of removal: manual, black plastic and layers of newspaper/other paper
materials.
-Can be tracked in person or online.
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-Resource Central developing a related similar pilot focused on scalable non-chemical
solutions that can be applied to larger properties (i.e., HOAs and commercial properties).
City will look to partner with them.
-Board Chair Berggren added that Westminster City Hall has an active replacement project
and University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, is doing a similar large-scale turf
replacement project.
Agenda Item 8 – Discussion of Future Schedule [7:18 p.m.]
•August: No meeting.
•September: Brief business meeting followed by tour of Main Sewer Improvements Project.
•October: Backflow Prevention; Boulder Revised Code Updates.
Agenda Item 9 – Adjournment [7:23 p.m.]
Motion to adjourn by: Broughton Seconded by: Bridges
Motion Passes 4:0
Date, Time, and Location of Next Meeting:
The next WRAB meeting will be held in hybrid format on Monday, September 9, 2024, at 6:00 p.m.,
followed by a staff-led tour of the Main Sewer Improvements Project.
APPROVED BY: ATTESTED BY:
Board Chair: _________________________ Board Secretary: ____________________________
Date: _______________________________ Date:______________________________________
An audio recording of the full meeting for which these minutes are a summary is available on the Water
Resources Advisory Board web page via the Access Meeting Agendas and Materials link.
Water Resources Advisory Board | City of Boulder (bouldercolorado.gov)
9/10/2024 09.10.2024