HomeMy WebLinkAboutDraft Minutes - 09/17/2012
CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES
Name of Board / Commission: Water Resources Advisory Board
Date of Meetin : 17 September 2012
Contact Information of Person Pre wring Minutes: Laurel Olsen-Horen; 303-441-3203
Board Members Present: Susan loll, Kate Ryan, Chuck Howe, Vicki Schamhorst, Dan Johnson
Staff Present: Jeff Arthur, Director of Public Works for Utilities
Tom Carr, City Attorney
Bob Harberg, Lngincering Project Management Coordinator
Annie Noble, Greenways Coordinator
Christie Coleman, Engineering Project Manager
Ken Baird, Financial Analyst
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 20 August 2012 Meeting Minutes: 17:08 p.m.]
Motion to approve as amended by: Scharnhorst; Seconded by: Howe
Motion Passes; 4:0 Board member Johnson was not present at the August meeting
Agenda Item 3 - Public Participation and Comment [7:10 p.m.[
Public Comment:
None
Agenda Item 4 - Matters 18:14 p.m.]
From the Board:
Board member iota brought up the below matter(s):
• Brought up what the board has achieved over the past year, and the current issues facing the board
in the near future-
• Thank you to staff for assisting with neighborhood water loss through leaking lines.
Board member Johnson brought up the below matter(s):
• Went on a tour of the watershed.
Board member Ryan brought up the below matter(s):
• Also participated in the watershed tour. Will be doing a tour of Betasso on Thursday with a group
of Woman and Water Attorneys.
Board member Howe brought up the below matter(s)-
0 Sterling Ranch ruling by the district court which requires adequate water supply for development.
• Westminster's tap fee increased by around $6k.
• Received some very favorable comments from some council members regarding the Fourmile fire
burn area tour.
From Staff: [7:11 p.m.]
• Rules and regulations for the board - City Attorney Carr presented some background and
information around Colorado and the City of Boulder's rules and regulations surrounding
public/open meetings.
• Study Session on Budget- Council requested some more information on the 5% wastewater
increase.
• SBC Mitigation Study - The study is inter-related with a CDOT project along US 36. Proposed
ordinance later on the agenda would provide additional flexibility to address issues.
• Boulder Creek Mapping Study - will be presented to City Council at tomorrow's meeting. City
staff is proposing to send the city's modeling and the county's modeling to FEMA for their
approval.
• Review of Proposed questions for WRAB applications - the board discussed question concepts.
Staff will forward draft questions to WRAB prior to submittal.
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Agenda Item 5 - Public hearing and WRAB consideration of a recommendation to City Council
regarding proposed ordinances to amend the floodplain regulations in 'Title 9 of the Boulder Revised
Code, 1981 [8:25 p. in.]
Christie Coleman presented item to the board.
Executive Summary from Packet Materials:
The purpose of this item is for the Water Resources Advisory Board to consider proposed ordinances
(Attachment A-D) to revise the floodplain regulations under sections 9-3-2 through 9-3-4 and 9-16-1,
B.R.C. 1981, and to provide a recommendation to City Council regarding adoption.
The following list summarizes the proposed changes to the floodplain regulations:
• Update the effective date of the flood insurance rate maps to reflect the Dec. 18, 2012 effective date of
the new Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps, as required by the National Flood Insurance Program
[Section 9-3-2-(g)(2)1;
• Implement groundwater flooding protection for areas removed from the floodplain by placement of fill
dirt as required by the Colorado Water Conservation Board [9-3-3-(a)-17-(C)];
• Amend the regulations governing the conveyance zone to allow for localized increases in water surface
elevation on public property under certain circumstances [9-3-4-(g)]; and
• Correct an error and provide additional information in the "conveyance zone" definition and provide
additional supporting definitions [9-16-1].
Public Comment:
None
WRAB Discussion Included: [8:37 p.m.]
The board's discussion was asking clarifying questions on the intent of some of the language within the
proposed ordinances.
Motion: Moved by: Vicki Scharnhorst, Seconded by: Kate Ryan, Move to recommend that the City
Council adopt an ordinance amending Section 9-3-2, "Floodplains" SRC, 1981 included in the
WRAB packet.
Vote: 5:0
Motion: Moved by: Kate Ryan, Seconded by: Chuck Howe, Move to recommend that the City
Council adopt an ordinance amending Section 9-3-3, "Regulations Governing the Floodplain," BRC,
1981 included in the WRAB packet.
Vote: 5:0
Motion: Moved by: Kate Ryan, Seconded by: Susan Lott, Move to recommend that the City Council
adopt an ordinance amending Section 9-3-4, "Regulations Governing the Conveyance Zone," BRC,
1981 in substantially the same form as amended Attachment C dated 9/14112.
Vote: 5:0
Motion: Moved by: Vicki Scharnhorst, Seconded by: Susan lott, Move to recommend that the City
Council adopt an ordinance amending Section 9-16-1, "General Definitions," BRC, 1981
substantially the same form as amended Attachment D dated 9/14/12 with the condition that
clarifications to the language on Conveyance 'Lone be made.
Vote: 5:0
Rnarrl mamhPr Rvnn {1Pnar i-rt at 9:20 p.m.
Agenda Item 6 - Update on Floodplain Management Study Session Feedback and Next Steps
[9:25 p.m.]
Christie Coleman presented item to the board.
Executive Summary from Packet Materials:
The purpose of this item is for the Water Resources Advisory Board to discuss City Council feedback from
the May 29, 2012 Study Session regarding Floodplain Management. A summary of the study session
including feedback and anticipated next steps is included as Attachment A. City Council accepted the
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study session summary on August 21, 2012. The complete study session memorandum provided to City
Council is included as Attachment B.
The study session was focused on the following issues and questions:
1. Does City Council have any questions about the city's flood risk or its existing floodplain
regulations?
2. Does City Council have any questions about the city's proposed floodplain regulations involving
critical facilities and mobile populations?
3. Does City Council have any questions about the Boulder Creek floodplain mapping study, South
Boulder Creek flood niitigation study, or the planning effort for the Boulder Civic Area?
City staff will be available to discuss and answer any questions regarding the City Council feedback and
anticipated next steps.
WRAB Discussion Included: 19:30 p.m.]
• Perhaps places of assembly should be included as they can be subject to crisis especially after the
recent events at the theater in Aurora.
• Where do preschools fall in regards to regulation? Staff response: any preschool that has 12 or
more children will fall under this regulation. The reason being so the neighborhood mom and pop
day cares are not affected.
• How are retirement communities designated? Staff response. it depends on whether or not there is
care services provided. Facilities that have care services/facilities would fall under the essential
services (i.e. hospitals, nursing homes)
Agenda Item 7 - Update on AWWA Benchmarking [9:55 p.m.]
Ken Baird presented item to the board
Executive Summary from Packet Materials:
The purpose of this item is for the Water Resources Advisory Board to review and discuss the
Benchmarking report prepared by staff in conjunction with the American Water Works Association
(AWWA) Benchmarking Survey. Since 2005, the City has collected water and wastewater benchmark data
and submitted this information as part or the AWWA survey. The results of the survey are then published
in the Utilities Annual Report. The benchmark report is used to compare the City's utility with peers
throughout the country and also to measure trends over time. The 2011 Benchmarking report is presented
as Attachment A, which includes additional background, analysis and results.
Another survey the City participated in is provided as Attachment B, which was conducted by the City of
Springfield, Missouri. This included questions related to future rate increases and renewal and placement
expenditures.
WRAB Discussion Included: [10:03 p.m.]
• An argument could be made that the city is getting a "better bang for our buck" by having lower
service disruption rates when considering costs surrounding O & M.
• What has the city used the information from this survey for? Staff response: It allows us to
compare ourselves to other industries/communities around the area. Communities are unique and
being compared to different cities can be misleading. There are some values from collecting this
type of data for other future analysis. The city does its own rate study comparing our rates with
other municipalities around the state.
Agenda Item 8 - Discussion on Future Schedule [10:18 p.m.]
Staff will distribute the retreat summa for board feedback.
Agenda Item 9 - Adjournment [10:34 p.m.]
There being no further business to come before the Board at this time, by motion regularly adopted, the
meeting was adjourned at 10:34 p.m.
Motion to adjourn by: Johnson; Seconded by: Iott
Motion Passes 4:0
Date, Time, and Location of Next Meeting:
The next WRAB meeting will be Monday, 15 October 2012 at 7:00 p.m., in the 1777 West Conference
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Room of the city Municipal Building located at 1777 Broadway, unless otherwise decided by staff and the
Board.
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.
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