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Home My WebLink AboutMinutes - Water Resources Advisory Board - 3/19/2012 CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES Name of Board / Commission: Water Resources Advisory Board Date of Meeting: 19 March 2012 Contact Information of Person Preparing Minutes: Laurel Olsen-Horen; 303-441-3203 Board Members Present: Bill DeOreo, Susan Iott, Kate Ryan, Chuck Howe, Vicki Schamborst Board Members Absent: none Staff Present: Jeff Arthur, Director of Public Works for Utilities Bob Harberg, Engineering Project Management Coordinator Bret Linenfelser, Water Quality and Environmental Services Coordinator Ken Baird, Utilities Financial Manager Kim Hutton, Water Resources Specialist Laurel Olsen-Horen, Board Secretary Meeting Type: Regular ' Agenda Item 1- Call to Order 17:00 p.m.] This meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m. Agenda Item 2 - Approval of the 27 February 2012 Meeting Minutes: 17:01 p.m.] Motion to approve as amended by: Iott; Seconded by: Ryan Motion Passes; 4:0 - Schamhorst abstained as she was absent from the February meeting. Agenda Item 3 - Public Participation and Comment 17:15 p.m.] Public Comment: • Payson Sheets: Mr. Sheets - representing the Middle Boulder Creek Coalition: Mr. Sheets owns a cabin in the mountains and is concerned with the proposed changes to Eldora Ski Resort in relation to Middle Boulder Creek. If they are granted the expansion into Middle Boulder Creek, then there will be an increase of sediment / contaminants. Snomax will increase for snow making machines. Mr. Sheets would like to ask the WRAB to consider a resolution to Council that all stakeholders get a chance to discuss this issue. Agenda Item 4 - Matters [7:30 p.m.] From Staff: • Linenfelser spoke with Jim Spenst, General Manager for Eldora Resort; Mr. Spenst stated that he had a meeting with the US Forest Service to start the NEPA process. There should be something in the Federal register within the next couple of weeks. The City of Boulder has added their name to the list of parties of interest to continue further communications. • State Nutrient Criteria handout given to the board. Colorado nutrient criteria will be 1 mg/L for phosphorus and 10 mg/L of total inorganic nitrogen (a.k.a. TIN). • May 22°d SS on Floodplain management - does the board want to hear any of the topics prior to the meeting. Board inquiry - can it be a joint Study Session? Or perhaps just have WRAB attend. • Head's Up to Council regarding the insurance of sewer lines being sent to community members. • GAC item was not included in January meeting packet materials. • Council will vote on the new WRAB member tomorrow. • Jessica Pault has accepted the position of the utilities attorney. • Sunshine Hydro will have a capacity test on Friday. • The city owns a small parcel of land that is a potential Park Reservoir site that is not part of the current CIP (we have a conditional water right) The city is not planning to take action to maintain the conditional water right. • Northern Colorado has responded to the Williams Village issue: they prefer for the city to use Windy Gap water rather than CBT. Staff will do more follow-up. From the Board: Board member Iott brought up the below matter(s): • Great contribution by board member DeOreo for this service on the board. • What is the status of the Crested Butte expansion? Staff response: they did not get NEPA support. Board member DeOreo brought up the below matter(s): WRAB Minutes 19 March 2012 Page No. 1 • The Central Utah Water Conservancy website provides all suit of information. It would be great if Boulder's website would also offer similar data. Board member Howe brought up the below matter(s): • Any information on the article in the paper regarding water quality from the Pine Bark Beetle and Spruce Bud Worm? Board member Ryan brought up the below matter(s): • Attended a water law conference last week Colorado River Water Users Cooperative agreement (how multiple users are going the share Colorado River water) It seemed that Denver Water's point of view is that Gross Reservoir is a done deal. Agenda Item 5 - Information Item: Update on Water Rights for Xcel Energy Valmont Plant Jeff Arthur and Kim Hutton gave the presentation. 18:10 p.m.] Executive Summary from Packet Materials: This memorandum is in response to a request from the Water Resources Advisory Board (WRAB) for information on water resources associated with the Xcel Energy Valmont Generating Station. Xcel Energy has announced its intent to discontinue coal-fired power generation at the facility by 2017. Alternative methods of power generation could have reduced water demands. Should Xcel elect to sell water rights or Valmont Reservoir, these assets could be of interest to the City of Boulder. Staff is continuing to evaluate potential uses, precise consumptive use amounts, and water quality issues to better understand the potential value of these assets should they become available for future purchase. WRAB Discussion Included: [8:20 p.m.] • Who uses the water from Leggett ditch? Staff response: most is used for agricultural purposes. • Is the 1200 a/ft of water that is delivered to Liggett Ditch, is that the only delivery out of the reservoir? Staff response: that doesn't happen anymore, but that is Xcel's only obligation to deliver water. • Isn't there a municipality that diverts from S. Boulder Creek, right above Eldorado Canyon? Staff response: Lafayette and Louisville both divert. There is an agreement between Boulder, Lafayette and Denver. Agenda Item 6 - Information Item: 2012 Budget Process Overview 18:25 p.m.] Ken Baird presented item to the board Executive Summary from Packet Materials: The city is preparing for the annual budget process for creating a six-year planning budget, this year for 2013-2018. Within this process, funds are appropriated for the first year, 2013. Per the Boulder Revised Code, the Water Resources Advisory Board's responsibilities include reviewing all environmental assessments and capital improvements conducted or proposed by the utilities division." The current schedule of budget milestones is provided below, with elements involving the WRAB highlighted in bold italics. The full budget calendar is attached. WRAB Discussion Included: 18:27 p.m.] • It seems that every year, WRAB has asked for a balance sheet with debt projections in terms of when items are going to be paid off. This information is very helpful to see in order to get a better picture of the financial outlook. • Consumer price indices; The Handy-Whitman Index; would that be useful to look into their data and possibly include some of that information for the public. • Capital needs seem to drive the cost of Boulder's spending thus some the indices are not really that helpful. • Asset management data may be helpful in the future. • If the city is concerned about deferring cost? Staff response: there isn't that much concern as staff has tried to structure a maintenance replacement program that we can keep up with. WRAB Minutes 19 March 2012 Page No. 2 Agenda Item 7 - Discussion on Future Schedule [8:40 p.m.] South Boulder Creek may not be coming until June. April's meeting: Budget will return. Agenda Item 8 - Adjournment [8:50 p.m.] There being no further business to come before the Board at this time, by motion regularly adopted, the meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m. Motion to adjourn by: Ryan; Seconded by: Scharnhorst Motion Passes 5:0 Date, Time, and Location of Next Meeting: The next WRAB meeting will be Monday, 16 April 2012 at 7:00 p.m., at the 13`h Street Conference Room located at 1720 131h Street, unless otherwise decided by staff and the Board. APP 4VED ATTESTP BY/--'--= Board Chair Board Sfcr a 5 21 l z l~ I 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. WRAB Minutes 19 March 2012 Page No. 3