HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Water Resources Advisory Board - 08/20/2012
CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES
Name of Board / Commission: Water Resources Advisory Board
Date of Meeting: 20 August 2012
Contact Information of Person Preparing Minutes: Laurel Olsen-Horen; 303-441-3203
Board Members Present: Susan Iott, Kate Ryan, Chuck Howe, Vicki Schamhorst (Board member
Scharnhorst arrived at 7:14)
Board Members Absent: Dan Johnson
Staff Present: Jeff Arthur, Director of Public Works for Utilities
Bret Linenfelser, Water Quality and Environmental Services Coordinator
Lesli Ellis, Senior Planner, Project Coordinator
Joe Taddcucci, Water Resources Coordinator
Kim Hutton, Water Resource Specialist
Jim Creek, Water Source Operations Manager
Jessica Pault-Altese, Assistant City Attorney, Water and Utilities
Bob Criffasi, Water Resource Administrator for Open Space and Mountain Parks
Laurel Olsen-Horen, Board Secretary
Meeting Type: Regular
Agenda Item 1- Call to Order [7:07 p.m.]
This meeting was called to order at 7:07 p.m.
Agenda Item 2 Approval of the 16 July 2012 Meeting Minutes: [7:34 p.m.]
Motion to approve as presented by: Scharnhorst; Seconded by: Iott
Motion Passes; 3:0 Ryan was not present at the July meeting
Agenda Item 3 - Public Participation and Comment 17:07 p.m.]
Public Comment:
None
Agenda Item 4 - Matters [7:30 p.m.]
From the Board:
Board member lott brought up the below matter(s):
• CU is proposing 5,000 new beds units south of Arapahoe (BCFP). How have they coordinated
with the city to add that many students to the area? Staff response: there has been a city staff
member involved with those conversations. Staff will provide an update at a future meeting.
Board member Howe brought up the below matter(s):
• EPA's new Flexible Stormwater Management Policy - does that affect the city? Staff response: it
does affect the city.
Board member Scharnhorst brought up the below matter(s):
• Enjoyed the Water Conservation Fair
From Staff: [7:08 p.m.]
• Introduction of present and new staff
• Water Supply update: Our overall water levels look good, The city is not anticipating any water
restrictions for this year. (The city of Thornton is moving toward stage two water restrictions)
• Boulder Creek Flood Mapping Study: Scheduled to go to Council on 18 September. The county
ended up hiring a third party consultant and they came up with an alternative proposal for the
portion of the study downstream of city limits. The two studies would be submitted to FEMA for
review concurrently.
• City Council Study Session on CIP: They didn't have a lot of concerns on utility items. There
were a few questions on hydroelectric facilities.
• WWTP: received a plant performance award.
• SBC: is moving forward and will be coming back to WRAB (mitigation study) OSMP Board of
Trustees will be looking at this item at their August 29a' meeting. Perhaps a WRAB member could
be present.
• Eldora: The city will be submitting its comments at the end of the month.
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• Refinance some bonds: there are favorable market conditions for the city to proceed with
refinancing some bonds which would save the city around $160K per year through 2025 that the
city would save.
Agenda Item 5 - Boulder Civic Area Project Update and Discussion
Lesli Ellis presented item to the board. [7:35 p.m.]
Executive Summary from Packet Materials:
1. PURPOSE
The purpose of this informational session is the following:
1. Provide an update on the Boulder Civic Area project which has recently begun; and
2. Provide opportunity for questions and discussion, as a lead-in to development of project Guiding
Principles.
II. QUESTIONS
1. What do you think are the key issues for the plan to address?
2. What do you think are important qualities and characteristics that should be considered for the
future of the Boulder Civic Area?
3. What are your questions and/or ideas regarding the process?
WRAB Discussion Included: [7:47 p.m.]
• Is there any discussion regarding renovating the library? Staff will be meeting with the library
commission next week.
• The area's use currently already seems appropriate. The buildings that are already here work well
for bringing people downtown while allowing for easy movement in the case of a flood event.
• Would encourage more flexible uses for the space rather than permanent structures.
• A vision that would keep the space open would be desirable. Maintaining the openness around the
creek is what the community stated was important.
• There is developable space at the St. Julien for more civic uses.
• More public access to the creek, while avoiding erosion to the creek. Things like a boardwalk.
Perhaps discussion with the Greenways Advisory Committee would be advisable.
• More education for water resources at the pocket parks. (Blue dots art project)
• Playground near the library would be more beneficial to the space. Especially themed parks to get
children to think about their environment.
• Is there any extension of the bike path through the Goss Grove neighborhood? Staff response: it
could be connected. It was on the table a few years ago, but there was resistance from some of the
neighbors.
Agenda Item 6 - Public hearing, Consideration and Recommendation to City Council on the
University of Colorado Williams Village Water Recirculation Project [7:58 p.m.]
Executive Summary from Packet Materials:
The University of Colorado (CU) has installed an on-site wastewater recirculation system at the Williams
Village North Residence Hall. The system is currently inactive pending approval of a Memorandum of
Understanding ("MOU") between the City and CU. At the February 27, 2012 meeting of the Water
Resources Advisory Board (WRAB), WRAB recommended that City Council approve a MOU with CU to
allow for the operation of the on-site wastewater recirculation system at the North Residence Hall. In a
second motion, WRAB also recommended that the City Manager continue to pursue options to operate the
city's water system in a manner that minimizes the environmental and economic impacts of the
recirculation project and adequately protects the city's water rights and water supplies. Since the February
27th meeting, language of the MOU has been revised to address the term of the project, reporting
requirements, potential liability, the city's obligation to deliver water, and source water operational
considerations. At the July 16, 2012 WRAB meeting, staff provided a summary of the proposed changes
to the MOU and the board requested the opportunity to consider the changes at a future meeting.
WRAB Discussion Included: [8:05 p.m.]
• As art of the calculation of environmental effects, is the city going to continue to track what it
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costs the city in energy terms or pumping Windy Gap Water? Staff response: Yes, the rate was
calculated for that.
• Look for a case that Boulder could get involved in where reuse is a municipal use. Or find a water
right that we have municipal uses and file a change case on it and seek a determination of law.
• Some additional clarifying questions were asked about the revised MOU.
• Is there any provision in the new MOU for CU to pay for any differential in the cost? Staff
response: staff is not proposing that.
• WRAB would like to thank both the city staff and university staff for all of their hard work.
Public Comment:
None
Motion: The Water Resources Advisory Board recommends that the City Council approve a
Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Colorado, in substantially the same form as
the August 20, 2012 pages 1-6 inclusive Attachment C: Memorandum of Understanding Concerning
the Williams Village Water Recirculation: Project, to allow operation of an on-site wastewater
recirculation system in the Building 2A Residence Hall at Williams Village North.
Moved by: Ryan Seconded by: Scharnhorst
Staff will re-label the MOU (currently attachment B in the 20 August 2012 memo) as Attachment C
Vote: 4:0 - Johnson absent
Agenda Item 7 - Update on the South Boulder Creek Instream Flow Program [8:50 p.m.]
Bob Crifasi and Kim Hutton presented item to the board
Power point presentation given for this item
Executive Summary from Packet Materials:
This memo provides an informational update on the status of the South Boulder Creek instream flow
program. City of Boulder staff has worked to develop and implement a permanent instream flow program
for South Boulder Creek since 1998. A major milestone in achieving an instream flow program was
accomplished with the approval of two Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) between the City of Boulder
(Boulder), the City of Lafayette (Lafayette), and the City and County of Denver (Denver Water), and
Boulder and Lafayette in February 2010. The 2010 IGA between Boulder, Lafayette and Denver Water acts
as the mitigation plan to address aquatic impacts in the South Boulder Creek basin from the proposed
Gross Reservoir expansion. The IGA between Boulder and Lafayette outlines operation of the
"environmental pool" which will exist within the expanded Gross Reservoir to meet instream flow target
levels for South Boulder Creek. Denver Water anticipates beginning construction of the Gross Reservoir
expansion in 2016.
WRAB Discussion Included: [9:00 p.m.]
• Clarifying questions around Wittemyer Ponds and the benefit of running water to the ponds were
asked.
• Is it morally questionable for the city to stand by while a big trans-mountain diversion to be in
place?
• We are discussing SBC but are tacitly approving the project to dry the Fraser River, which
presents an ethical issue for Boulder. Staff response: it's been an ongoing question. This is a
difficult conversation. Environmental pool was determined to be of greater benefit than
anticipated mitigation that would have been obtained through permit process.
Agenda Item 8 - Discussion on Future Schedule [9:20 p.m.]
Sept: DFIRM and flood ordinances. Possibly Stormwater
Oct: SBC and MHMP
Agenda Item 9 - Adjournment [9:35 p.m.]
There being no further business to come before the Board at this time, by motion regularly adopted, the
meeting was adjourned at 9:35 p.m.
Motion to adjourn by: Howe; Seconded by: Scharnhorst
Motion Passes 4:0
Date, Time, and Location of Next Meeting:
The next WRAB meeting will be Monday, 17 September 2012 at 7:00 p.m., in the 1777 West Conference
Room of the city Municipal Building located at 1777 Broadway, unless otherwise decided by staff and the
Board.
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APPRQVL-D BY: e A'I Cl 5"LL=D ;~i' r'
f
Board Chair Baar cre r
Date Dale
An audio recording of the frill meetin- for which these minutes are a summary, is available on the NVater
Resources Advisory Board web page.
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20 August 2012
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