HomeMy WebLinkAbout03.16.26 WRAB MinutesWRAB Minutes
03/16/2026
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CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES
Name of Board / Commission: Water Resources Advisory Board
Date of Meeting: 16 March 2026
Contact Information for Person Preparing Minutes: Karen Sheridan, 303-441-3208
Board Members Present: Steve Maxwell, Katie Bridges, Joel Smith, Katherine Halama
Board Members Absent: Amy Broughton
Staff Present: Joe Taddeucci, Director of Utilities
Joanna Bloom, Utilities Deputy Director of Policy and Planning
Chris Douville, Utilities Deputy Director of Operation
Chris Douglass, Utilities Engineering Senior Manager
Jon Stoddard, Water Treatment Manager
Megan Wilson-Outcalt, Water Quality Senior Manager
Kathleen King, Principal City Planner, Planning and Development Services
Sarah Horn, City Planner Senior, Planning and Development Services
Brad Mueller, Director, Planning and Development Services
Kristofer Johnson, Planning and Development Services
Karen Sheridan, Board Secretary
Agenda Item 1 – Call to Order [6:00 p.m.]
Agenda Item 2 – Technical Rules [6:00 p.m.]
Agenda Item 3 – Approval of 26 January 2026 Meeting Minutes [6:01 p.m.]
Edits requested:
Agenda 5 WRAB Board Discussion: Add suggestion to provide prior year’s memo to new
board members.
Agenda 6 WRAB Board Discussion: Correct comment about presenting mean values to a say
range of uses including highest 25, lowest 25, and box and whisker in addition to median.
Motion to approve with requested changes: Smith Seconded by: Halama
Vote: 4:0; Broughton absent
Agenda Item 4 – Public Participation and Comment [6:03 p.m.]
Lynn Segal: Yeah, with regards to the Boulder Valley Comp Plan and our capacity for
supplying water, with the Colorado River Compact kind of in flux now, it's not a good time to
allow (I know you're going to talk about the BVCP tonight), but it's not a good time to ignore
you know, this huge issue of survival for the massive populations that are coming to Boulder
with Sundance. We're supposed to be coming on, I think, about 60,000 more people, and
we're only at 108,000 to start with, in the near future. And I can tell you, I can see those
60,000. And the Millennium development, the Colorado street development up to the football
stadium up to 7 stories. Naropa up to 7 stories, Naropa Arapahoe, Dark Horse. Is it National
Geographic, that one a little bit north and east? 49th and Pearl now there's another one. These
are all these huge residential developments. Glenwood, where Hyundai was, 55th and
Arapahoe. And then we've already got all of this, like I don't know how well people are even
living in Boulder Junction. I don't think it's a really desirable place to live, but all of this
population drives up our water use a lot. I mean, my water use has gone up a ton because I
got an energy retrofit that's a complete disaster. And it was administered through the City of
Boulder. And I thought they were gonna get me a couple mini splits. It was free, which is nice.
It's $55,000 worth of stuff, but it's not stuff that I will use. It's inefficient. For example, they put
an air handler in my attic, and they could have put a mini split in that room for $7,000. They
probably spent $30 - $35,000 putting an air handler in a very limited, short space. I don't know
how they did it. And inefficient because it has ducts, and then a huge 3-ton, mini Mitsubishi
HyperHeat, which might not even be necessary. They were gonna do a thing, and they still
have to do a thing to my furnace to turn it into an air conditioner so they can unload my
electric, inefficient air conditioner. This is all for efficiency, but you know what it does? I'm here
for 25 years, I'm at 40 degrees or something, in my house, in my house. And it's cold, so I
have to take a longer shower, and I can't wash my dishes because it gets cold as soon as I put
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dishes in there. So, you know consider the population issues of going forward with the BVCP
without your input.
Agenda Item 5 – Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Update [6:10 p.m.]
Sarah Horn, City Planner Senior, Planning and Development Services, and Kathleen King,
Principal City Planner, Planning and Development Services, presented this item.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This memo provides the Water Resources Advisory Board (WRAB) with an overview of how
Utilities–related policies are reflected in the draft Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update
(comprehensive plan or plan). Staff seek board feedback to inform the next steps in plan
development. In September and November 2025, staff met with WRAB to share the overall
direction of the comprehensive plan and gather initial input on WRAB priorities. Since then,
staff have incorporated advisory board feedback, community input and policy direction from the
plan’s four approval bodies into the draft plan.
The comprehensive plan includes 102 policies and a land use strategy designed to advance
the community’s vision and values over the coming decades. This memo summarizes the key
Utilities-related themes in the draft plan. WRAB may provide feedback at this meeting to guide
refinements to the plan before staff present the final recommended plan to the four
comprehensive plan approval bodies (Planning Board, City Council, the Boulder County
Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners).
WRAB Role in the Comprehensive Plan
While WRAB does not formally recommend or approve the comprehensive plan, the board
plays a critical advisory role in shaping policies and capital planning. Input provided by the
board will be shared with the plan approval bodies and incorporated, where appropriate, into
refinements of the draft plan. This meeting represents an opportunity for the board to share
feedback on which elements WRAB members strongly support, as well as to help identify
areas where the draft plan may require additional clarity, revision or refinement.
WRAB Board Discussion Included:
• Question how many policies the plan was pared down from.
• Question if there is a target number for housing or population.
• Question what the realistic growth number is.
• Question if data specifies an absolute number or growth rate.
• Question about land use conversion.
• Question about flood plain management and agricultural land use.
• Question about language describing converting agricultural water use to municipal
water use.
• Comment about continued growth and expanding water rights that may need to come
from local agriculture and potential conflict with the plan.
• Question if we have agreements with Boulder County farmers for water access.
• Question if new development adds relatively less outdoor water usage versus existing
development.
• Question how decisions are made operationally.
• Question if the plan addresses business development.
• Question how new growth paying for itself is incorporated in the plan.
• Question about definition of fair.
• Question if fair share includes all marginal costs.
• Question about accounting for costs of larger infrastructure development.
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• Suggestion from absent board member to rephrase flood plain management language
shared by Chair. Text will be emailed post meeting.
• Comment regarding wildfire and environmental design for public areas.
• Board indicated support for the plan.
Agenda Item 7 – Matters from Board [7:00 p.m.]
• Board Member Smith commented on the water supply and his understanding that it
has improved to approximately 70% in the South Platte Basin, and Colorado River
slightly less than that.
• Board Member Bridges acknowledged Chair Steve Maxwell’s work.
Staff Response: Director Taddeucci responded that levels are being observed closely. Some
communities are starting to signal and message. Boulder has good water storage and a
diverse portfolio. Snowpack is a big component and has been behind all year long, but a
recent storm did increase the snow water equivalent some. When calculations are done, they
may not point to a drought stage but staff will consider voluntary conservation measures and
an insert in the April utility bill. A water supply update will be brought to the board in April.
Agenda Item 7 – Matters from Staff [7:05 p.m.]
• Eurasian Water Milfoil, presented by Megan Wilson-Outcalt, Water Quality Senior
Manager
- First discovered in 2022.
- Parks and Recreation staff have been hand-pulling.
- Pivoted from past consideration of herbicide treatment to mechanical treatment.
- Mechanical harvesting in some areas, similar to mowing.
- Diver-assisted suction harvesting (DASH) in other areas.
- Harvested material composted onsite.
- Begins spring 2026.
- Should greatly reduce density but won’t completely eradicate.
• Tram Hill Fuels Reduction Project, presented by Megan Wilson-Outcalt.
- Tree thinning project along the drinking water supply pipeline from Kossler.
Reservoir to Boulder Canyon Hydro Facility.
- Also in alignment with Xcel power supply lines.
- Main objective is to protect the pipeline from trees and wildfire.
- Secondary objective is to increase first responder access and protect Xcel power
supply lines.
- Funded with $900,000 grant from State of Colorado.
- Colorado State Forest Service will oversee the tree thinning.
- Starts in April through mid summer.
- Xcel completed their work in March.
- Area difficult to access, can’t use heavy machinery.
- Most trees will be left onsite. Some will be chipped, others placed into burn piles.
- Boulder fire rescue will manage burn piles over the winter, hopefully in 2026.
- Prescribed burn over next 2 to 3 winters.
- Community engagement through Boulder Watershed Collective.
• Xcel had another power shutdown on Saturday.
- Due to high winds.
- Did not have same scope, scale and impact as prior.
- Emergency Operations Center was activated.
- Operations and maintenance staff were well prepared for response.
• Thanks to Steve for chairing the Board this year and for prior years of service.
Agenda Item 8 – Discussion of Future Schedule [7:30 p.m.]
• April: Swearing in of New Board Member/Election of Board Officers; Water Supply
Update; Utilities Rate Study
• May: Capital Improvement Program Introduction; Possible Project Tour
• June: Capital Improvement Program In Depth
Agenda Item 9 – Adjournment [7:30 p.m.]
Motion to adjourn by: Smith Seconded by: Bridges
Motion Passes 4:0; Broughton absent
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Date, Time, and Location of Next Meeting:
The next WRAB meeting will be held at 5050 Pearl Street on Monday, April 20, at 6:00 p.m.
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)
5/21/2026 5/21/2026