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Allen Alchian

Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education, Sept.18. Prairie Winds students win national award; Education Foundation reactivated

By Harriet Halbig

The Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education celebrated achievements of its students and teachers at its Sept. 18 meeting.

President’s Environmental Youth Award.

Sixth-graders Amelia Ashby, Sloan Clary, and Annabel Montero from Prairie Winds Elementary School were awarded the President’s Environmental Youth Award for their project to reduce waste by composting green waste from the school cafeteria and using it in the school’s garden.

Above::Sixth-graders Amelia Ashby, Sloan Clary, and Annabel Montero from Prairie Winds Elementary School, flanked on the left by D38 Board President Tiffiney Upchurch and on the right by teacher Deb Kimple, were celebrated for winning the President’s Environmental Youth Award for their project to reduce waste by composting green waste from the school cafeteria and using it in the school’s garden. The students gave a slide presentation on the process of submitting the application and their trip to Washington, D.C., and created a video on the project for the Colorado Environmental Film Festival. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

The students gave a slide presentation on the process of submitting the application and their trip to Washington, D.C. to receive the award. They thanked their teacher Deb Kimple and science teacher Pam Cooley for their help. Principal Brittnie Coveney was also on hand to congratulate the students.

The students have created a video on the project for the Colorado Environmental Film Festival and hope to monitor continuation of the program after they leave Prairie Winds.

Another award recipient is Bear Creek Elementary School teacher Jennifer Stalko, who received the Air Force Academy Extra Yard Award.

D38 Education Foundation reactivated.

The D38 Education Foundation was originally created in 1994 under Superintendent Ted Bauman and was active until 2009. Since that time, members of the Board of Education have kept legal and tax documents current.

Executive Director Stephanie Palzkill reported on the reorganization and activities of the foundation.

The Board of Trustees of the foundation consists of seven members representing such entities as the Tri-Lakes Chamber, Monument Hill Kiwanis, the Board of Education, and district parents who have served in various capacities on district committees. Superintendent KC Somers is a non-voting member of the board.

The mission of the foundation is to elevate education through community connections, to champion educators and foster creativity and innovation, to attract and retain educators, and to educate the community about the unique strengths of the district.

The foundation will fund two grants. The Inspire program grant will reward innovation and the Advance program grant will fund professional development.

Funds in the Foundation account, previously transferred to the district, were transferred back into an individual bank account by the board later in the meeting. The funds are sufficient to support awarding the grants for this year. Palzkill said applications for the Inspire grant would be available by Oct. 15 with a deadline of Nov. 30. Members of the Board of Trustees will visit each school to explain the program.

Finalists will be chosen by Dec. 15 and recipients will be notified in January.

Palzkill stressed that the foundation does not intend to supplant any other sources of revenue in support of the district. Instead, it will seek corporate sponsorship and offer the opportunity for individuals to donate to the cause. The foundation will also administer the pre-existing Adopt D38 group which made it possible to sponsor a teacher, class, or school.

Board President Tiffiney Upchurch asked whether volunteers are needed. Palzkill responded that individuals should get on the foundation mailing list at d38foundation.org and that help will be needed next year to create fundraising events.

Assessment presentation.

Assistant Superintendent Amber Whetstine and Assessment Coordinator Michael Brom explained results of last spring’s Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS), Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

Brom said the growth aspect of the assessments was based on two consecutive years of test scores. No assessments were given in 2020 due to the pandemic and fewer than usual were given in 2021. Consequently, 2023 is the first year in some time when two consecutive years’ scores are available.

Overall, the district performed well, according to Whetstine. Although the district still has not achieved pre-pandemic performance, growth puts it in the 87th percentile in the state.

Brom commented that the district does not test all grades each year, but it exceeds the benchmark 65th percentile. Anything over the 50th meets state requirements.

Whetstine said that students are compared with like-performing peers throughout the state. Operated and charter schools are both included in the district performance framework.

When asked whether SAT scores are necessary, Brom responded that about 50% of colleges require it. Students are encouraged to take it to have more options, especially if seeking a scholarship.

Whetstine said Lewis-Palmer and Palmer Ridge High Schools were put on improvement plans (as opposed to performance plans) this year due to low participation in the PSAT and SAT tests. Somers commented that Colorado is one of a few states in which students can opt out of taking the tests with a form from parents. Whetstine said that Building Advisory Committees at both schools are being encouraged to explain the importance of these forms to parents.

Brom said the PSAT and SAT tests will be administered digitally this year for the first time. Consequently, students may have more options as to the date they will be tested. Previously there was one test date and one makeup date for each.

Accreditation of Schools.

Whetstine explained that each school district is accredited by the state. D38 is accredited with distinction by achieving over 74 points of a possible 100. The district has been accredited with distinction each year since the category was created.

Whetstine explained that each school also has a universal improvement plan. These plans measure academic achievement, academic growth and, in the case of high schools, rates of graduation, dropouts, and matriculation referred to as post-secondary workforce readiness.

Matriculation refers to the number of students who will enter a two- to four-year institution, technical training, military institutes, or military active duty immediately after graduation. This does not include students who have been earning college credit during high school through concurrent enrollment.

The board passed a motion to accredit the district’s schools.

To view the district and school universal performance information, please see boarddocs on the district website, lewispalmer.org, under Board of Education.

Superintendent update.

In his update, Somers spoke of a recent staff rally and the success of the Battle of Monument football game where students raised $3,000 for the Folds of Honor charity to provide scholarships to families of fallen first responders and veterans.

He also announced that the local YMCA will resume sponsoring Real Alternative to Drugs and Drinking (RAD) nights. He thanked the local Tri-Lakes Rotary and Tri-Lakes Women’s Club for providing refreshments.

Somers thanked the Palmer Ridge and Lewis-Palmer Middle School communities for their patience with traffic problems and Lewis-Palmer Elementary for its patience with building issues.

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The Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education usually meets at 6 p.m. on the third Monday of the month at the district’s education center, 146 Jefferson St., Monument. The next meeting will be on Oct. 23. For information, please contact vwood@lewispalmer.org.

Harriet Halbig may be reached at harriethalbig@ocn.me.

Other D38 Board of Education articles

Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, Sept. 18. Contracts awarded for infrastructure.

By James Howald

Construction contracts were the focus of the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District (WWSD) at its September meeting. The board awarded two new contracts and changed the award of a third to a different company. It continued the discussion of water and sewer tap fees that began in its previous meeting, hearing a presentation from the consultants that provide the district with rates analysis. The board also heard operational reports.

Two new contracts awarded.

District Manager Jessie Shaffer gave the board a summary of the scope of work included in the construction contract for the Well 22 pumphouse project. Well 22 is south of County Line Road and east of I-25, and the drilling was completed in July 2022. The project includes the construction of the well house, the installation of the well’s pump, motor, and drop pipe, and associated piping, electrical support, and controls.

Richard Hood, of JVA Inc., an engineering company that advises WWSD, told the board that four bids for the project were received and Native Sun Construction was the low bidder at $1.17 million. Hood said Paintbrush Hills Metropolitan District, Woodmen Hills Metropolitan District and the City of Boulder gave Native Sun Construction positive recommendations.

Hood recommended that the board award the contract to Native Sun Construction, and the board voted unanimously to do so.

Rachel Frei, of BB&A Water Consultants Inc., presented her recommendations for the drilling, construction, and testing of a new Dawson aquifer well, to be drilled on the site of the Central Water Treatment Plant (CWTP), which is on Deer Creek Road adjacent to the Lewis-Palmer Middle School football field.

Frei said the proposed well would be designed to a different standard than other WWSD wells. Previously, WWSD has used the municipal standard for its wells, Frei said, but the last long-range plan completed by the district allows for some new wells to be built to the standard for commercial wells, which typically use lower quality and less expensive hardware components. Additional savings result from using smaller drilling rigs, she said. Commercial grade wells are usually 77% less expensive than wells built to the municipal standard.

Frei estimated the new well would produce 25 gallons per minute. WWSD’s Arapahoe aquifer wells typically produce 200 or more gallons per minute.

Shaffer said the well would be a test case for the district. He pointed out the commercial standard involved a bit more risk but would provide a much lower cost per acre-foot of water produced. The proximity to the CWTP meant less would be spent on pipeline and on building to house the well.

Frei recommended that the contract be awarded to Winegar Well Service LLC, which bid $219,315 for the project. The board voted unanimously to award the contract as Frei suggested.

Contract re-awarded.

At its previous meeting in August, the board awarded a contract to install the infrastructure for a new pressure reduction zone required by the Monument Junction development to Aslan Construction. Classic Homes, the developer of Monument Junction, was to be responsible for a portion of the project, but in August the WWSD board believed that Classic Homes would have WWSD manage the project and be reimbursed by Classic Homes for its portion of the work. Details about the original award of the contract can be found in a previous issue of Our Community News here: https://www.ocn.me/v23n9.htm#wwsd.

In September, Shaffer told the board there had been new developments. Classic Homes opted to use their own contractor to do its share of the work, he said, and Aslan Construction notified him that it had made a $170,000 error in its bid. As a result, Aslan withdrew its bid, Shaffer said.

Shaffer said he did not recommend rebidding the project. He recommended that the board award the contract to Midcity Corp., which had bid on the work along with Aslan.

After some discussion to sort out the consequences of Classic Homes choosing to use its own contractor rather than let WWSD manage the entire project and be reimbursed, the board voted unanimously to authorize Shaffer to move forward with Midcity’s bid of $438,722.

Tap fee debate continues.

At its previous meeting, the board heard a presentation on tap fee strategy from Andrew Rheem of Raftelis, a company that advises WWSD on rates and fees. At that meeting, the board voted to authorize Raftelis to continue its work, begun a year ago, to help determine how WWSD should set its water and sewer tap fees to ensure the district can fund the cost of service delivery and capital improvements looking out 10 years.

At the September meeting, Rheem and his colleague Harold Smith presented some preliminary results. They said they had developed scenarios that addressed issues such as how WWSD will finance its portion of the water re-use project often referred to as “The Loop,” which will build infrastructure to allow WWSD and other participating water districts to divert water from Fountain Creek, including treated effluent, and return it for reuse by customers.

Rheem and Smith said they estimated the final buildout of the WWSD service area would occur by 2042, with 6,500 connections to the water distribution system and 6,200 connections to the sewer system. They calculated the Replacement Cost New (RCN) of those systems to be $134.87 million. RCN is the amount it would cost to build systems of equal capacity at today’s prices and is a factor when tap fees are considered as a fee to buy a share in an existing system.

The discussion that followed raised some questions about the assumptions used to calculate the RCN. Operations Superintendent Dan LaFontaine pointed out that developers build pipes at their expense that are later conveyed to the district and asked how that was built into the RCN calculation. Other issues were how $7 million in recent capital improvements were calculated into the RCN, and how to account for the debt incurred by the purchase of Woodmoor Ranch, the debt service for which is paid by district customers every month in the form of the $40 per month Renewable Water Infrastructure Fee.

Uncertainty about how The Loop water reuse project would be financed—with revenue bonds or general obligation bonds that would require a vote for approval—complicated the issue of future tap fees.

Rheem and Smith presented a case for raising water tap fees, which are one-time fees paid when a new building is connected to the water distribution system, by $12,000 to $42,000. Board President Brian Bush argued that increase could not be made in one year. He also pointed out that federal and state regulations governing water quality were not likely to remain unchanged for 10 years and new regulations would impact the cost of delivering water to customers. Shaffer said the increase suggested by Rheem and Smith would raise objections on the part of developers.

The board did not vote following the discussion. Rheem and Smith said they would continue to work on their analysis, taking into consideration the questions raised.

Highlights of operational reports.

  • In his financial report, board Treasurer Roy Martinez said that revenue from water sales was down due to the unusually rainy summer and spring.
  • The 12-month rolling average for unaccounted water is 5%, which is low by industry standards.
  • 1,400 of the district’s residential water meters have been replaced with newer meters that are better integrated with the district’s billing system and support advanced functions such as helping customers avoid unexpectedly large water bills by notifying them when there is a leak on their property.
  • WWSD is issuing water taps for the west side of the Monument Junction development.

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The next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 9 at 1 p.m. Meetings are usually held on the second Monday of each month at 1 p.m. at the district office at 1845 Woodmoor Drive; please see www.woodmoorwater.com or call 719-488-2525 to verify meeting times and locations.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.

Other Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District articles

Monument Sanitation District, Sept. 20. Board approves email policy, plans building improvements

By Jackie Burhans and James Howald

The Monument Sanitation District (MSD) board met in September to vote on a resolution outlining the district’s email policy. It discussed a preliminary draft of a proposed 2024 budget and took up issues concerning improvements and repairs of the district’s headquarters building.

District email for business use only.

State law requires governmental organizations that maintain email systems to have a written policy governing their proper use. District Manager Mark Parker told the board that work on MSD’s email policy was begun with their previous lawyer and was now ready for a vote.

Resolution 9202023-1 specifies:

  • MSD’s email system is owned by the district and is limited to messages related to district business. Personal or private messages are not allowed.
  • Use of personal email systems for district business is not allowed and may subject the district to discovery orders, seizure, and inspection in the event of litigation.
  • Messages sent through the district’s email are public records and are available to the public through Colorado Open Record Act requests.
  • The district may monitor messages sent through its email system.
  • The email system is an extension of the workplace and is subject to the district’s personnel policies.
  • Board President Dan Hamilton summed up the policy by pointing out that there is no privacy in use of the email system. Parker pointed out that board members would need to be careful in their use of the “Reply All” feature, as emails going to three or more board members constitute a meeting. Parker said he used the blind carbon copy feature to prevent board members from inadvertently creating a meeting by replying to everyone on the distribution list.

The board voted unanimously to approve the resolution.

Preliminary 2024 budget discussed.

Parker gave the board a preliminary draft of the 2024 budget and asked for their feedback at the next board meeting. He said he estimates income low and expenses high, and that generally works out. Legal and engineering fees were underestimated in the previous budget. Legal fees were somewhat higher than expected in the 2023 budget because of the legal work needed on the district’s bylaws and employee handbook. For the 2024 budget, he assumed a 10 percent increase in worker’s compensation costs and a large increase in the cost of gas and electricity. Interest income is up due to higher interest rates, he said.

Parker pointed out that MSD could impose a 7.734 mill levy, but that was not needed because the district is able to cover its cost of service through tap fees and user fees.

HQ building needs roof repair, HVAC upgrade.

MSD owns the building at 130 Second St. that houses the office space and conference room used by the district, as well as three businesses: the Black Forest Foods Café and Deli, Santa Fe Trail Jewelry, and the Second Street Hair Studio.

Parker told the board that, due to age and hail damage, the building’s roof needs to be replaced. The cost of replacement is less than the insurance deductible, he explained, so MSD will be paying for the replacement. Parker said he was working with the district’s insurance carrier to find alternatives to the current deductible.

Parker asked the board to consider paying for an engineering study to design a comprehensive solution to the building’s problems with heating and ventilation. The Black Forest Foods Café and Deli kitchen has created issues with ventilation that were not anticipated when the building was designed. The kitchen hoods pull air out of the building and makeup air is needed to run the building’s furnace efficiently, he said. The study would need to assess whether the rafters can support the needed equipment as well as the snow load in the winter months. The building’s electric service would also need to be included. Parker estimated the study cost at $5,500.

MSD Environmental/Regulatory Compliance Coordinator Jim Kendrick pointed out that over the last 20 years contractors who addressed issues stemming from the restaurant kitchen have put in place ad hoc solutions. He argued the cost of a comprehensive study and design would be money well spent.

The board did not take a vote but agreed that Parker should proceed with the proposed study.

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Monument Sanitation District meetings are normally held at 9 a.m. on the third Wednesday of the month in the district conference room at 130 Second St., Monument. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Oct. 18. See https://colorado.gov/msd. For a district service map, see https://colorado.gov/pacific/msd/district-map-0. Information: 719-481-4886.

Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me. James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.

Other Monument Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Sept. 21. Preliminary 2024 budget presented

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its September meeting, Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) General Manager Jeff Hodge and Accounts Payable specialist Christine Hawker presented a preliminary draft of the district’s 2024 budget. The board awarded a contract for rehabilitating the district’s water tanks, updated a lease to sell effluent water, and made plans to sell a surplus variable frequency drive (VFD). Finally, district staff updated the board concerning the district’s testing of hydrous manganese oxide (HMO) to reduce radium in its treated water.

2024 budget overview.

The preliminary budget presented showed an increase in total revenue from $6.86 million projected for 2023 to $7.60 million budgeted for 2024. Water sales and interest income are projected to increase in 2024. Property tax revenue for 2024 was projected to be $2.24 million; that number reflects a $600,000 decrease in the county’s assessment due to the possibility of Proposition HH passing. Hodge said the 2024 budget assumes the district will not see any increase in revenue from increased property taxes.

On the expense side, total operating expenses are estimated to increase from $4.92 million projected for 2023 to $6.24 million budgeted for 2024. In the 2024 budget, $365,351 was moved from administrative expenses to operating expenses because upgraded accounting software enables better tracking of contract services. Utility costs for 2024 are budgeted to increase by $257,000 due to an estimated 10% increase in electrical costs by Mountain View Electrical Association. Engineering costs and well maintenance costs are also projected to increase in 2024.

Total capital and bond expense is estimated to increase from $3.44 million projected for 2023 to $4.31 million budgeted for 2023.

A total of $3.57 million was budgeted for capital improvement projects in 2024, with rehabilitation of three storage tanks, filter media rehabilitation at the R. Hull treatment plant, and funding for “The Loop” water reuse project at the top of the list.

Hodge emphasized that water and sewer revenue would cover the district’s operating expenses, and he estimated DWSD would have $8 million in reserves.

Board President Wayne Vanderschuere said the budget would need to be presented to the state by Oct. 15 and the board would hold a special meeting on Oct. 12 to formally accept a final 2024 budget.

Water tank rehab contract awarded.

Hodge recommended the board award a contract for water tank rehabilitation to Viking Painting LLC, which bid $1.05 million to rehabilitate the district’s three tanks. The contract had previously been awarded to Swedish Industrial Coatings LLC, but that company was unable to do the work.

The board voted unanimously to award the contract as Hodge suggested.

Effluent water lease extended.

Hodge asked the board to consider extending for two years a contract for DWSD to lease up to 6.5 acre-feet of effluent water per year to Letha Robison. The state of Colorado requires pond owners to replace water lost to evaporation. Hodge explained the new contract would raise the price of the water from $150 per acre-foot to $300. The board voted unanimously to extend the contract.

Surplus VFD to be sold.

Hodge told the board he had a buyer for a VFD the district is taking offline. VFDs control the operation of the motors that drive well pumps and allow them to ramp up or down smoothly rather than being completely on or completely off, thereby saving energy costs and reducing the wear and tear on pipelines. Water Operator Ronny Wright said he expected the VFD to be sold for $7,500.

HMO testing moves forward.

Wright updated the board on the status of the demonstration project the district is running to prove that treatment with HMO will reduce to acceptable levels the radium in the water delivered to customers. Wright said samples treated with HMO were taken between Sept. 11 and 17 have been submitted for testing. Two more samples will be taken in mid-October and in November, he said, adding he expected results by late December. When all results are received, the district will have 30 days to send the results to the state. Wright said he anticipated the state would respond by April, allowing DWSD to proceed with the design of an HMO-based radium treatment process.

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The next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 19 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Triview Metropolitan District, Sept. 21. Northern Delivery System pipeline installation nearing completion

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) meeting on Sept. 21, the board received updates on the Northern Delivery System (NDS) Pipeline Project and the release of water deeds, and heard about wastewater flow monitoring and a system to remove radium. The board also approved a small lease of water shares, heard about a revegetation program, and received an update on the Higby Road widening project. The district also held an executive session to receive legal advice regarding various negotiations on water supply contracts, property acquisitions, strategic planning, and change cases.

Director Amanda Carlton attended remotely; however, sound communication was unavailable for the participants attending via Zoom for the duration of the meeting.

Northern Delivery System pipeline project.

District Manager Jim McGrady said he attended a get-together with the Kiewit employees as the NDS project reached 100 days and is about 75% completed on the pipeline installation. The closeout for the pipeline portion of the project is anticipated to be the end of November and everything is on schedule, he said. Roller Coaster Road will be completed by mid-October, and Old Northgate Road is expected to be completed by the end of September. The pumphouse at Highway 83/Old Northgate Road is estimated to be completed in July 2024, he said.

President Mark Melville said the pump station had many long lead-time items. The district was able to purchase an electrical transformer from Mountain View Electric Association ahead of time and well before construction, he said.

Note: For NDS pipeline project updates, alternative traffic routes, road closures, answers to questions, and to sign-up for email and text notifications, visit www.triviewnds.com. The link can also be found at www.triviewmetro.com.

Release of water deeds.

McGrady said the Stonewall Springs South Reservoir is full. TMD and the Arkansas Ground and Reservoir Association (AGRA) water rights contributed to filling the reservoir. The district will begin running the NDS in less than a year and will need municipal water to run the pipeline. The district may need to lease a little water next year until all the decrees for the municipal water are in place. Some of the AGRA water could be utilized to supply the NDS, along with 500 shares (about 350 acre-feet) of the Fountain Mutual Irrigation Co. (FMIC). A portion of the 557 shares of FMIC, which the district is changing to municipal water shares, will likely be decreed after the 2024 runoff. The district will have a plan B and will pump water from its wells if needed to fully supply the district customers he said.

Melville said the district needs about 900-1,000 acre-feet annually, but the plan has always been to use about 20% well water and keep the wells in use, he said.

Water flows examined.

Assistant District Manager Steve Sheffield said Xuehua Bai of Bai Engineers is examining and taking measurements of the water flows at the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF). The district is not 100% confident in the accuracy of the flow numbers that are released from the treatment facility and is double checking Triview’s existing flow measurement devices, he said.

Superintendent Shawn Sexton confirmed a new flow meter at the Upper Monument Creek Waste Water Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF) had been replaced a couple of years ago. The district is keeping up with high summer water demand, and during August the district had a 9.7% variance (unaccounted water due to pipeline leakage), which is not uncommon. Nationwide some municipalities have up to 40% unaccounted water loses. The district is drilling down on losses, because previously the numbers presented were not the whole picture, he said.

Vice President Anthony Sexton said the 9.7% is a whole lot tighter than previous months, but it would be interesting to know why there are fluctuations in lost water between the summer months and the winter months, he said.

McGrady said Bai is taking readings on a flume every 15 minutes over 24 hours to capture 96 reads, then using an integration formula the district will know the volume that travelled through the flume in 24 hours. It will be important to identify the cause and the correct flows to the treatment facility as the decision to participate in the Northern Monument Creek Interceptor (NCMI) pipeline draws closer. The pipeline capacity will need to be accurate to accommodate the correct amount of wastewater. The cause could be metering or infiltration, he said.

Hydrous manganese oxide (HMO) system.

Sexton said the district is almost done with the hydrous manganese oxide (HMO) redesign and rebuild, and it looks completely different from the original design, and it will be “awesome.” He had attended the Rocky Mountain Water Conference from Sept. 10-13 in Loveland, with Lead Engineer Mario DiPasquale of RESPEC (formerly JDS Hydro). DiPasquale presented the HMO system to about 30 attendees, and after the presentation Sexton helped DiPasquale answer questions.

TMD and one other small district statewide are adopting the HMO system. The system consists of a combination of suspended manganese oxide particles that form a slurry, and when combined with raw water the chemical affixes to radium and the particles are large enough to be removed via filter, making it possible to easily remove when the filters are backwashed, he said.

McGrady said Donala Water and Sanitation District is implementing the HMO system after consulting with the TMD team. The system makes sense and works very well at a very reasonable cost compared to other systems, he said. Radium testing takes up to three months to complete. and then further testing is required. It took TMD about a year to complete and comply with the state requirements. The district is trying to spread the word about the economic benefit of the HMO system. TMD implemented the HMO system because other methods of removal are expensive. Radium is not just a Front Range issue, he said.

Melville said the HMO system will remove radium at a low cost of about $200,000, unlike some systems that require separate plants and cost over $1 million.

Director Jason Gross thanked Sexton and his team for going the extra mile, making the district exceptional just by taking the time to discover the HMO system.

Lease of water shares.

McGrady said he was approached by Curtis Mitchell, a consultant for Cross Creek Metropolitan District (CCMD) located between Widefield and Fountain Boulevard near Mesa Ridge High School. Mitchell requested a small lease of six shares to offset evaporative losses in a small sub-division pond that the state had mandated be drained due to evaporation loss. The agreement is a good neighbor relations project, and the district makes a little revenue in the process. He requested the board review and consider approving the agreement between CCMD and the TMD for the lease of six shares from the FMIC for three years from Nov. 1 through Oct. 31, 2026, to augment evaporative losses on the pond located within CCMD.

Water Attorney Chris Cummins said the district always includes a reclaim clause should the district need the water, but he had not written the agreement and would need to confirm. The lease provides only 4.2 acre-feet to offset evaporation in a small pond adjacent to a play area. If the provision to reclaim the water is needed by the district and is not already included, it will be added, he said.

The board unanimously accepted the agreement with a retraction clause should the district need the water.

Revegetation plan.

McGrady said TMD hired retired Colorado State University Professor Ed Rendente, an expert restoration ecologist, to work for the district on a revegetation plan at the Chicago Springs Ranch, located near Buena Vista and the place of use for the district’s Arkansas Valley Irrigation Co. water right. The land is covered by various grasses. After the irrigation water is removed, most of the hay and some species of grass will die out and the other intermixed vegetation is expected to thrive. A reference property near that has never been irrigated will mimic that land, but it could take 10 years or more, he said.

Cummins said the division engineer office mandates rules and regulations to implement a revegetation plan after irrigation rights are removed to prevent dust bowl conditions, he said.

Higby Road widening project.

McGrady said the Higby Road widening project design was approved. The road will be about 95-100 feet wide, about 20 feet less than Jackson Creek Parkway. The design also incorporates two roundabouts: one about midway of the Lewis-Palmer High School south parking lot for entry purposes, and the second at Bowstring Road. Until the district can figure out how to incorporate a sidewalk on the northeast side near the school baseball fields, two crosswalks will be installed to reach the sidewalk on the south side of the road, he said.

Above Triview Metropolitan District received a 900-ECO 12-yard Vactor truck in early September. The multi-use vehicle with many capabilities besides cleaning sewer systems will be utilized both residentially and commercially throughout the district and in Forest Lakes Metropolitan District. The district spent about $560,000 on the truck and expects to see a cost savings in a couple of years by avoiding costly outsourced services. Photo by Natalie Barszcz.

Public works, parks, and open space update.

Superintendent Matt Rayno said the following:

• The district had received the radar speed signs for Promontory Pointe and installation had begun. The 25-mile-per-hour sign would be removed.

• He and the snow captain would attend a snow and ice removal conference to receive continued certification in snow removal.

• The district purchased a dump truck with a snow plow for snow removal.

Gross said he likes the increase in service to the residents.

McGrady said the district was able to find a used diesel truck for about $37,000 sitting on a lot with only 50,000 miles on the odometer and a snow plow. The truck was then sandblasted, re-painted and fitted with a new sander for $16,000. The final cost was about $53,000 instead of about $150,000 for a new truck.

Melville suggested the large flat drainage pond that receives little runoff between Split Creek and Gleneagle Drive could be put to recreational use with a little bit more mowing and a couple of soccer nets.

McGrady said metropolitan districts in the Phoenix, Ariz., area have utilized dry retention pond areas for recreation, and he would look into utilization of the space.

During public comments, a resident said he was very happy about how his taxes are being spent by the district, especially when he sees the beautiful landscaping work and how great the district looks.

Executive session.

The board moved into executive session at about 7:23 p.m. pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes 24-6-402(4) (a), (b), (e), to discuss acquisitions, receive legal advice regarding negotiations on water supply contracts, property acquisitions, strategic planning and change cases.

After the meeting, Sheffield confirmed that when the board returned to the regular meeting, no further action was taken.

The meeting adjourned at 9:23 p.m.

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Correction.

In the September issue of OCN, the TMD article should have read: “Rocky Mountain Turf Solutions are installing 115,600 square feet of UV-protected AstroTurf for the multi-use sporting field in Sanctuary Pointe.” After the September issue was published, McGrady provided the following information: The TMD Board of Directors approved $1 million from the parks and open spaces fees collected from the Sanctuary Pointe development for the AstroTurf installation. TMD collected just over $2 million at the point of construction, about $3,373 for each of the 600 homes in Sanctuary Pointe. About $1,666 per home was contributed to the park from those fees. The Homeowners Association fees were not used in the development of the park. OCN regrets the error.

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Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday every month at the district office at 16055 Old Forest Point, Suite 302. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Oct.19 at 5:30 p.m. For meeting agendas, minutes, and updates, visit https://triviewmetro.com.

Natalie Barszcz can be reached at nataliebarszcz@ocn.me.

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