HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Water Resources - 5/17/2010
CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES
Name of Board / Commission: Water Resources Advisory Board
Date of Meeting: May 17, 2010
Contact Information of Person Preparing Minutes: Laurel Olsen-Horen; 303-441-3266
Board Members Present: Kelly DiNatale, William DeOreo, Susan Iott, Chuck Howe, Kate Ryan
Board Members Absent: None
Staff Present: Ned Williams, Director of Public Works for Utilities
Carol Ellinghouse, Water Resources Coordinator
Bret Linenfelser, Water Quality & Environmental Services Coordinator
Carol Linn, Financial Manager
Annie Noble, Greenways Coordinator
Laurel Olsen-Horen, Board Secretary
Lee Rozakalis, Consultant for AMEC
Meeting Type: Regular
Agenda Item 1 - Call to Order [7:04 p.m.]
This meeting was called to order at 7:04 p.m.
Agenda Item 2 - Approval of the 19 April 2010 Meeting Minutes: [7:05 p.m.]
April minutes were approved as given
Motion by: Howe; Seconded by: Ryan
Motion Passes 5:0
Agenda Item 3 - Public Participation and Comment [7:06 p.m.]
Public Comment:
Laurence Budd - EPA Water Sense Partner, works on municipal water outreach programs. Works with
Boulder Area Rentals Housing Association (BARHA) on multi family housing and with TEBO on
commercial locations. There is too much water waste going on. There are not any dollar amounts for
residential rebates posted online. Are the rebates the same for multi-family as commercial? Would like to
make sure that the Board is aware of dual flush toilet systems. Most of the medians around town are on
outdated rain controllers called ESPs. Many are malfunctioning now. Thus, there is a lot of over watering
in the spring and fall seasons. Bret Linenfelser will follow-up with Mr_ Budd.
Agenda Item 4 - Matters from Board and Staff [7:15 p.m.]
Matters from Board:
o Howe: sent a couple of documents via Ned Williams regarding the South Boulder Creek Flood
Mitigation project. At next month's meeting, C112M Hill will be presenting an update.
o DiNatale:
- Asked Howe for a brief update on Thunderbird Lake. Water levels are very high right now.
- The Greeley, Fort Collins, and Loveland water boards get together once per year, does WRAB
want to try to get together with other water boards? Maybe Fort Collins, Golden or Longmont.
Let's try to aim for later in the summer or fall. Williams and DiNatale will arrange a meeting.
Matters from Staff: [7:25 p.m.]
o In regards to the board minutes; possible format change to a theme format. Agreement to test this
approach with upcoming minutes.
Working with Solon Corporation on the Photovoltaic System. June 1St staff is hopeful to have an
agenda item for City Council. If it is approved then Sun Edison believes it could be operational by
the end of June.
o Williams presented a handout on updates of pending water court cases.
o Study Session on Tuesday, 25 May_ Council will be discussing the 2011 budget and utility rates.
Agenda Item 5 - Update on the Preliminary 2011 Utilities Budget 17:43 p.m.]
Carol Linn and Annic Noble presented item to board.
Executive Summary from Packet Materials:
As part of the city's annual budget process, Utilities develops a six-year planning budget, this year for the
time period of 2011 through 2016. Utilities staff has formulated initial revenue and expenditure projections
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17 May 2010
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for each of the three utility funds through the year 2016. Within the budget process Council approves and
appropriates funds only for the first year, 2011.
This packet contains information concerning the Preliminary 2011 Utilities Budget and the draft 2011-2016
Utilities Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The attached fund financials (Attachment B - Water
Utility, Attachment C - Wastewater Utility and Attachment D -Stormwater / Flood Management Utility)
reflect actual revenues and expenditures for 2009, updated revenue projections/rate increases for the
planning period (this includes the phased-in implementation of the adopted Plant Investment Fees), updated
CIP and any proposed budget supplementals (additions to the current budget). The operating budget (i.e.
personnel costs, chemicals, energy, etc.) and transfers will be updated and incorporated into the fund
financials later in May after the city's budget guidelines have been distributed.
At the May 17, 2010 WRAB meeting, staff will ask WRAB for input and feedback on the 2011-2016 CIP
and preliminary revenue increases for 2011. Staff will return to the Board on June 21 st for further
discussion and to solicit a recommendation to Planning Board and City Council concerning the proposed
2011 Utilities Division budget and 2011-2016 CIP.
Fiscal Impacts: The following percentage increases in additional revenue from the monthly utility fees are
currently being considered by staff for 2011 to fund the preliminary Utilities budget and capital
improvements program.
Water 4%
Wastewater 3%
Stormwater/ Flood Management 3%
WRAB discussion included: 17:52 p.m.]
Board would like to see a breakdown of some of the larger line items from Attachment B-1, Is there a way
to provide a further level of detail on all of the operating expenditures? Staff response; City staff will
provide the "green sheets" to the board that provide additional detail
Recommendations for Water:
• Board would like to ensure that the city isn't under-investing in areas regarding the CIP. Board
believes that the `sales pitch' to Council needs to be improved. (see motion below) The city-wide
"Priority Based Budget" approach that is being used this year will identify the highest priority
programs in the city. Thus the programs that lay at the bottom of the list will need to show some
benefit in order to get funded. Staffing will be looked at in detail for efficiencies of the 2011
budget.
• Staff needs to ensure that City Council understands that keeping up on maintenance for existing
projects through some sort of rate increase is a necessity.
• Board•does not want to see another year of a 0% rate increase, and they would like to see a
strategic plan of regular investment in repair and replacement of infrastructure.
Motion for Water, Wastewater and Storm Water by Iott; Seconded by DeOreo; with Friendly
amendment by Ryan accepted by Iott:
WRAB is concerned with the need to consistently invest in system renewal and replacement; there
are many identified maintenance and Capital Projects that cannot be funded in a timely manner if
rate increases do not occur over the next five years. The Board supports reasonable annual rate
increases with the cash emphasis on Capital Improvement Projects. The Board is also concerned
regarding the many identified maintenance projects that are not able to be funded, and the impacts
of a 0% rate increase will ultimately compound the funding issues over the next several years.
Motion Passes 5:0
Recommendations for Wastewater: [8:52 p.m.]
• None given
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Recommendations for Stormwater / Flood Management: [9:02 p.m.]
The city received approximately $500k from the Urban Drainage District (UDD) which went to fund the
Elmer's Twomile project. UDD receives funding via property taxes. The UDD also provides maintenance
funds along with the funding for CIP.
• Board is concerned with items on the CIP that have been postponed to after 2016, creating a greater
problem later.
Public Comment: [9:17 p.m.]
None
Agenda Item 6 - Discussion About the Boulder Creek Water Rights Computer Model [9:28 p.m.]
Board Member DeOreo presented item to the Board; power point presentation given.
Executive Summary from Packet Materials:
None given prior to meeting
WRAB Discussion Included: [9:40 p.m.]
The current model was developed by reconstructing hydrology and modeling historic diversions in order to
test and develop different scenarios and parameters, including reliability criteria for the City's water
supply, climate change scenarios and storage index triggers for drought stages.
• The model reflects the planned curtailment of demands that will take place when following the
Drought Plan in order to prevent involuntary water shortages.
• The model includes the water system response to the worst multi-year droughts in about five
hundred years of past hydrology and has been used to evaluate response in multi-year droughts
with climate change.
• Board will revisit this topic.
Board Member Howe leaves at 10:38 p.m.
Agenda Item 7 - Discussion on Future Schedule 110:45 p.m.]
0 2011 Budget, CIP utility rates will come back in June
o Update on WWTP projects to bond
o Discussion on South Boulder Creek mitigation
o Update on Lakewood Pipeline condition.
Agenda Item 8 - Adjournment [10:48 p.m.]
There being no further business to come before the Board at this time, the meeting was adjourned at 10:48
p.m.
Motion by Lott; Seconded by: Ryan
Motion Passes 4:0
Date, Time, and Location of Next Meeting:
The next WRAB meeting will be Monday, 21 June 2010 - 7:00 p.m,, regular meeting, at the 13a Street
Conference Room, located at 1720 13'h Street, unless otherwise decided by staff and the Board.
APPROVED BY: ATTESTED By:~~
t1r
Board Cha Bo AScery /
Date Date UJ
An audio recording of the full meeting for which these minutes are a summary, is available on the Water
Resources Advisory Board web page.
WRAB Minutes
17 May 2010
Page No. 3