OCN

Volunteers reporting on community issues in Monument, Palmer Lake, and the surrounding Tri-Lakes area

OCN > 2405 > Page 3

Articles from Vol. 24 No. 5 - May 4, 2024

Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, April 8 – Board discusses bills to regulate wetlands

By James Howald

At its April meeting, the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District (WWSD) board heard operational reports from District Manager Jessie Shaffer, Operations Superintendent Dan LaFontaine, District Engineer Ariel Hacker and board Treasurer Roy Martinez.

Manager’s report

Shaffer opened his report with an update on HB24-1379, a bill before the Colorado Legislature that would create a state-run permit system to regulate when developers can dig up and fill in streams and wetlands. A second bill addressing the same issue, SB24-127, has been introduced, Shaffer said; the difference between the two bills is that the first would place regulatory authority under the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the second under the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. The two bills would either be reconciled or one of them would be dropped, Shaffer said.

In response to a question from Director Tom Roddam, Shaffer explained that both bills were responses to the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that removed many wetlands from the jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers. The state of Colorado felt it needed to step in to protect Colorado’s wetlands and that is the goal of the two bills, Shaffer said. The outcome could affect WWSD by possibly complicating permitting processes and increasing the district’s costs.

Shaffer summarized the progress of the Loop project. The Loop authority is drafting an agreement that will define the benefits and the responsibilities of all participating districts and will specify the annual and monthly maximum water deliveries each district will receive once the project is complete. Another agreement under development will define operational details such as how excess water supply will be handled. Both agreements will be reviewed by the boards of participating districts, their lawyers and water attorneys, he said. If districts sign the agreements, they are committed to the project. Shaffer said he expected the districts to make their final decisions in the next two to four months.

Water operations report

LaFontaine told the board that water loss for March had declined. The 12-month running average for water loss was 10%, he said. The EPA considers a 16% loss normal and the average for new water systems in Colorado is 8%. WWSD’s system runs at higher pressure than many others, he said, and this leads to a higher amount of seepage. He said he was coordinating the reading of meters to get a more accurate measure of water loss.

LaFontaine noted two service failures in March and two sewer backups. One of the two backups was caused by a clog of flushable wipes and the other was caused by a telecom company boring through a sewer main. The district is investigating which telecom company did the drilling.

Engineer’s report

Hacker said the second phase of the project to widen Highway 105, Phase B, was months out from getting the necessary easements. She said she was requesting quotes for the sewer crossing at Lake Woodmoor Drive. Bids for the site piping for the Dawson aquifer well at the Central Water Treatment Facility (CWTF) adjacent to Lewis Palmer Middle School would go out May 1, she said. The pumphouse for Well 22, which is on County Line Road just east of I-25, is nearing completion and plans for the erosion and stormwater quality control at the well site have been submitted to the county.

Planning is underway for an additional tank at the South Tank site, Hacker said. Shaffer said the new tank would be concrete rather than steel because concrete is cheaper over the long term since it does not have to be recoated. He said once the tank design was done it would be presented to the board.

Hacker said she expected construction on the Waterside development to begin by summer. The development will include four single-family residences and 40 duplexes and is located at Woodmoor Drive and Deer Creek Road just north of The Barn.

Water sales down from previous year

In his financial report, Martinez noted income and expenses were on track. He pointed out that water sales for March were down from the previous year by about 3 million gallons.

**********

The next meeting is scheduled for May 20 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, April 17 – Repair will spare traffic on Highway 105

By Jackie Burhans and James Howald

In April, the Monument Sanitation District (MSD) board accepted a proposal to repair a pipeline that runs under Highway 105 and a proposal to upgrade the radios used by the district’s supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. The board also heard an operational report from District Manager Mark Parker.

Pipeline to be relined, not replaced

Parker told the board that Insituform Technologies Inc. had proposed repairing a sewer line that runs under Highway 105 and serves the Conoco gas station, the McDonald’s restaurant, Jarrito Loco and the Taco Bell restaurant by using Cured in Place Pipeline (CIPP) technology. The repair will be made without interrupting traffic on Highway 105, Parker said.

When a pipeline is repaired using CIPP, a felt liner saturated in resins is pulled through the pipeline, then the liner is cured in place using steam. Using CIPP, there is no need to excavate the pipeline, which is 11 feet under Highway 105, Parker explained. Part of the McDonald’s driveway will be blocked for one day while the repairs are made, Parker said.

The board voted unanimously to accept the proposal.

Radios due for replacement

Parker told the board that I&C Design LLC had given the district a proposal to upgrade the radios used by the district’s SCADA system. The SCADA software collects data from the district’s lift stations and automates some aspects of the district’s sewer infrastructure. Parker explained that there are no replacement parts for the radios currently in use, and newer models are not backward compatible. Parker recommended taking a proactive approach and replacing all the SCADA radios at one time. He said the old radios would be sold.

The board voted unanimously to accept the proposal.

Manager’s report

In his manager’s report, Parker said the annual evaluation of the district’s collection system would begin in April. Pipelines would be assessed using video cameras and repaired as needed.

At its March meeting, the board heard a request from Rick Squires to provide sewer service to his property on Monument Lake Road. At that meeting, Parker told the board that efforts to locate the sewer main that Squire’s property would tap into had failed. At the April meeting Parker said that the main had been located 30 feet away from the documented location. Parker said the company that had incorrectly documented the location of the main had given the district a refund.

Parker said he had provided GMS Engineering Inc. the information it had requested for a rate study. He hoped the rate study would be completed in time to set 2025 rates.

**********

Monument Sanitation District meetings are 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 May 15. 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, April 18 – Board discusses financial policy, water demand

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

In April, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board held a workshop and a regular board meeting, both on April 18. The workshop focused on the district’s financial policy and its projected water demand. During the regular board meeting, the board heard operational reports.

Financial policy based on four funds

General Manager Jeff Hodge told the board that the district’s total reserves were $9.5 million. That total amount is divided among four funds: the Bond Reserve Fund, the Strategic Reserve Fund, the Capital Reserve Fund, and the Operating Reserve Fund.

The Bond Reserve Fund is established by the issuance of bonds, and the funds are protected by bond covenants. The funds are used to pay down principal or in the case of default. The target level for this fund is established when bonds are issued and may be recalculated as bonds are paid off.

The Strategic Reserve Fund is established with income from property taxes that exceeds annual operating and capital expenses. New water rights and new infrastructure such as storage tanks and pipelines are financed through this fund. The target level changes based on buying and building opportunities.

The Capital Reserve Fund is financed by capital revenues such as the sale of water, and the funds are used for capital projects required by water and wastewater infrastructure and for major purchases such as vehicles and major equipment. The target level for this fund varies based on development activity. Board President Wayne Vanderschuere said this fund required special attention as its current balance is $3.5 million and that amount could be dispersed very quickly.

The Operating Reserve Fund protects the district from unforeseen cost increases such as increases in water costs, wastewater treatment costs, energy costs, and emergency repairs. The fund should contain six months of average operating expenses.

In his discussion of water demand, Hodge said DWSD’s three-year average water production was 765 acre-feet per year, and its three-year average for billable water was 745 acre-feet per year. The district has about four times the storage tank capacity it requires, he said. Electricity costs 9 cents per kilowatt hour, but renewable energy will cost more, Hodge said.

Overall, Hodge estimated the district has water available to meet demand for the next five to 10 years. Once complete, Hodge said, the Loop project would provide DWSD 800 acre-feet per year, enough to meet the need for indoor water demand. He added the Loop project’s effort to include Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) infrastructure in its design was a “dead end” because CSU was demanding Loop water have the same treatment requirements as water coming out of the Pueblo Reservoir, which was not practical for Loop water. Hodge estimated that in 10 years, Loop water would be DWSD’s primary water source.

Manager’s report

During his manager’s report, Hodge gave the board a summary of the Loop project’s progress. He said the Loop board had put out a Request for Proposal for firms to handle positioning and acquiring easements for 17 miles of pipeline that will make up the southern portion of the Loop infrastructure and will run from the Calhan Reservoir to the Hamlin Tank. The Loop board was also working on the design for a treatment facility that will be located on Woodmoor Ranch, he said.

Hodge said a quarterly meeting between himself and representatives of Forest Lakes Metropolitan District and Triview Metropolitan District to discuss operation of the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF), a facility the three districts share, had been congenial and productive.

Operational reports

  • In his water report, Water Operator Ronny Wright said the district’s newest well, 16A, should be in production by mid-summer. The testing so far shows the well to be viable and usable. Consultant Roger Sams said he expected the state of Colorado to take six to 12 weeks to evaluate the water samples from the well. Sams said Mountain View Electrical Association was finishing its portion of the well installation and all the necessary equipment had been purchased.
  • Chief Waste Plant Operator Aaron Tolman said E. coli levels at the treatment plant were slightly higher than last month but well under the limit.
  • Consultant Brett Gracely, of LRE Water, told the board that due to high water levels in the Pueblo Reservoir, which resulted from snowmelt and precipitation, water had to be released. About 499 million gallons of water belonging to DWSD had to be released, Gracely said.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 16 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, April 25 – Water and wastewater fees/rates discussed; water rights lease agreement approved

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Triview Metropolitan District meeting on April 25, the board heard about a proposal to increase the water and wastewater fees effective June 1 and reviewed a water rights lease agreement between the district and the Arkansas Groundwater and Reservoir Association (AGRA). The board discussed steps to resolve the unsold excess wastewater flows and heard about traffic concerns and hazards from residents. The board held an executive session to discuss the acquisition of water and land.

Director Amanda Carlton was excused.

Treasurer/Secretary James Barnhardt and Director Jason Gross joined via Zoom.

Water and wastewater fees/rates

District Manager Jim McGrady said a public hearing will be held at the May 23 board meeting to allow public comment on the proposed increases to the water and wastewater base rates, meter, and tiered volume charges and the average November-February volume uniform rate, and said:

  • Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) will begin billing the district $8.32 per 1,000 gallons for the convey, treat, and delivery of the district’s water via the Northern Delivery System (NDS) beginning in July.
  • The CSU rates are based on a detailed cost of service and a certain percentage increase for being outside the Colorado Springs city limits.
  • There is nothing like running water through the system to know the true costs of operating the NDS, but the district needs to ensure there are sufficient funds to cover the projected capital expenditures of the district, staff wages, operating expenditures, and making the debt service payments.
  • The district expects the electricity and chemical treatment costs for well pumped water will drop, because the water will already have been treated.
  • Repairs to wells will be curtailed, as annual costs of anywhere between $200,000 and $500,000 for well repairs lessen. When the NDS is online, the district will not be under the gun to make immediate repairs.
  • The district will need to juggle the fine line of delivering water through the NDS and rotating the wells and a schedule to run them on a rotational basis.
  • Through educated calculations and rate comparison to other communities, other than CSU, the rates are equal to or less than those reviewed.

Vice Chair Anthony Sexton said the district’s rates in comparison to other neighboring districts are mid- to top tier, but it is hard to compare when the district has had an aggressive push to move away from groundwater, and other districts have not made that investment.

Water rights lease

McGrady said the district has been leasing water to AGRA on a regular basis; the water is an excess of water decreed for agricultural use. Next year the water rights may be decreed for use in the NDS, and the district will revisit the lease in 2025. He requested the board consider approving the lease for $50 per share, generating a rental payment of about $67,000 per year combined with the lease of about 800-acre feet storage in the South Reservoir at a rate of $40 per acre-foot, generating revenue of about $100,000 for a year.

The board approved the one-year water rights lease agreement between TMD and AGRA in a 4-0 vote.

Excess district wastewater

McGrady said the district staff are looking closely at the influent numbers now that the results of the wastewater study are known. The district will look at how to close the gap between water pumped and wastewater treated, but it is not out of the question that the influent meters are reading low, and it could be due to turbulence with the 6-inch flume. The 6-inch flume may need to be removed, and the 9-inch flume will remain in use. Installing the new doppler technology and electromagnetic flow meters would be more accurate, or the district will have to learn to live with the 5% differential between sold water and treated wastewater. Flows were dramatically higher after the June and July rainfalls that produced 6-7 inches in 2023.

Utilities Department Superintendent Shawn Sexton said a meeting is scheduled between the executive and utility staff to discuss the findings of the study.

Under drain maintenance

Gross said several of his neighbors have installed sump pumps after experiencing flooded basements. Those sump pumps are tied to underdrains that are not being maintained. One neighbor’s sump pump drains to a low spot on the trail behind his property, and he requested the crews that had been investigating to continue to keep an eye on the wet area. The area is a long-wet spot at the end of the trail where it connects to Lyons Tail Road. He asked if the underdrains should be added to the maintenance schedule.

Assistant Manager Steve Sheffield said the Vactor truck crews would be back out to inspect the area.

Sexton confirmed the drainage on his property in Promontory Pointe connects to the district’s sewer system and he does not have a sump pump.

McGrady said the underdrain beneath the sewer is blocked, and the Vactor truck crews are working to break debris free, but the engineers may need to dig down farther. The underdrains throughout the district are installed to protect the utilities, but the crew is focusing on cleaning out the manholes. There are some underdrain issues within the district, but they are not significant. Unsold water from sump pumps may be draining into the main sewer, and that could be part of the increase in wastewater treatment flows, he said.

Road traffic safety concerns

Gross requested direction and legal advice to personally address the delay to the planned Higby Road improvements. He said he would like to see action to enhance road safety for Lewis-Palmer High School students.

President Mark Melville said the discussion could continue in executive session to avoid changing the consent agenda. See Monument Town Council article on page 16.

This reporter cited safety concerns and the traffic speeds on Agate Creek Drive, as many motorists gather speed beyond the posted 25 miles per hour heading south to the T-intersection at Old Creek Drive. Many impatient motorists are unwilling to slow down when residents are backing out of driveways, prompting some to weave around the resident to the opposite side of the road, and negotiate parked cars to continue on. The speeding problem is prevalent and could result in a crosswalk accident where the busy trail connection crosses the southern portion of the road.

McGrady said speed control is a Monument Police Department responsibility, but installing a raised speed bump would help slow traffic, however it could cause an issue for a snowplow. A discussion with the traffic engineer could resolve the issue, said McGrady.

Note: After the meeting, this reporter noticed the crosswalk sign partially covered by tree branches and the speed sign missing for southbound traffic.

Spring road repairs planned

Promontory Pointe Homeowners’ Association President Ann-Marie Jojola requested the district take another look at gaps that are widening in Promontory Pointe. One resident with special needs had his bike wheel stuck in a large crack, and several other residents have stumbled in the gutters on Ann Arbor Way and Trans Continental Drive.

McGrady said there would be a fair amount of crack repairs during the overlay project. Both streets are on the list for the repairs this year and the district digs out the cracks and compacts them before the milling and overlay project begins. The high stormwater inlets along with the streets in Promontory Pointe will be inspected before the road project begins. Martin Marietta was awarded the mill and overlay contract for $717,219. The district also received a competitive bid just slightly higher from Schmidt Construction, said McGrady.

Landscaping workforce divides

Public Works and Parks and Open Space Superintendent Matt Rayno said the landscaping crews were only able to keep up with mowing services in 2023, so this year the workforce is divided into three-man crews allocated to separate areas of the district. The schedule will be more efficient and work will occur on a weekly basis, with the same level of detail the residents have come to enjoy in the landscaped areas. The crews will come together bi-weekly to service Forest Lakes Metropolitan District. Mowing will occur on Wednesday and Thursday, lowering the run-time hours on the mowing equipment from 23 hours to 16 per week this year. The district has a dedicated employee who maintains the native grass and pet waste receptacles. The native grass areas will be mown three times throughout the summer, and those areas receive limited irrigation. Minimal repairs were needed to the irrigation system, and the district is 100% staffed for the summer season landscaping services.

Website accessibility

General counsel Scott Goodstein of White Bear Ankele Tanaka and Waldron law firm said the legislation requiring full accessibility requirements to documents via the district website by June 31 this year had been delayed for another year.

McGrady said that most of the hundreds of state sites are not ready to be accessibility compliant. The district may need to hire a firm to look at site accessibility, but not before the district has reviewed the site with a critical eye.

Executive session

The board moved into executive session at 7:45 p.m. pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes 24-6-402(4)(a), (b), (e), to discuss the acquisition of water and land, receive confidential legal advice relating to potential consolidation, and for the purpose of determining positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing strategies for negotiations, and instructing negotiators as it relates to potential development incentives.

Sheffield confirmed that after the board returned to the regular meeting, no action was taken, and the meeting promptly adjourned at 9:12 p.m.

**********

Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of the month at the district office located at 16055 Old Forest Point, Suite 302. A public hearing will be held at the next regular board meeting scheduled for May 23 at 5:30 p.m. For meeting agendas, minutes, and updates, visit https://triviewmetro.com.

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

Above and below Thirty-nine steps were installed on the St. Lawrence Trail, allowing easy navigation on a steep portion of the district’s trail system. The Triview Metropolitan District landscaping crews installed the stairs and plan to overseed the trail area with native grass and replant with trees to further eliminate erosion. The trail connects between St. Lawrence and Penn Central Way and was the access road to B-plant before the development of Promontory Pointe. Photo by Natalie Barszcz.

Other Triview Metropolitan District articles

El Paso Board of County Commissioners, April 9, 11, and 16 – Wildfire mitigation urged as Black Forest slash and mulch program opens for season

By Helen Walklett

During April, the El Paso Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) made decisions relating to the Black Forest slash and mulch program and a Black Forest rezone application.

Black Forest slash and mulch program

At its April 9 meeting, the BOCC approved the 2024 memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Black Forest Slash and Mulch Committee (SAMCOM), the nonprofit responsible for the program’s daily operation.

This wildfire mitigation program, staffed entirely by volunteers, accepts slash (tree debris including branches and leaves) from residents that is ground into mulch, which is available free of charge to the public. The program does not accept bulk loads of needles, tree stumps, roots, weeds or grass.

Under the MOU, the county contributes up to $40,000 toward grinder expenses, and SAMCOM provides $12,000 toward the costs.

The site, within Black Forest Section 16 on the east side of Herring Road and just south of Shoup Road, opened for the 2024 season for slash drop-off on April 27. Normal business hours are Saturdays and Sundays 7 a.m.-4 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday evenings 5-7:30 p.m. Sundays between 7 a.m. and noon are for slash drop-off only. The last date for slash drop-off this year is Sept. 15. The drop-off fee for slash has increased this year to $10 per pickup truck. There is a loyalty card available that offers a discount.

Free mulch will be available for self-loading from May 18 through Sept. 21. For large quantities of mulch, an end loader will be available on Saturdays only, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., charging $5 per bucket.

Describing the program as wonderful, Commissioner Holly Williams said, “I certainly encourage all of our Black Forest residents, as well as many of our northeastern Colorado Springs residents, to take advantage and to keep wildfire mitigation efforts on your property up to date.”

For more information, visit www.bfslash.org. Anyone wanting to volunteer to work a shift can do so via the website.

Vessey Road rezone

At their April 11 land use meeting, the commissioners voted to approve an application by Pawel Posorski for a rezoning of 6.02 acres from RR-5 (rural residential) to RR-2.5 (rural residential). The property is located at 6225 Vessey Road, one-half mile east of the intersection of Vessey Road and Neva Lane. A final plat application has also been submitted to create two lots from the parcel. This is currently under review and has not yet been scheduled for a public hearing.

The application was heard as a consent item, meaning there was no discussion. The application came from the Planning Commission with an 8-1 vote recommending approval. Commissioners Christopher Whitney was the nay vote, having concerns about the zoning not being consistent with the area and about the non-conformity of lots in the area. See https://www.ocn.me/v24n4.htm?zoom_highlight=%22vessey+road%22.

Ambulance license and permits

At the April 16 meeting, the commissioners approved an ambulance service license and two ambulance permits for the Black Forest Fire Rescue Protection District. At the previous week’s meeting, Commissioner Stan VanderWerf commented on the fact that the state had recently passed a statute that will take away local authorities’ power to issue ambulance permits beginning in July. These will now be issued at the state level. He said, “The law is the law, but this is just another example of centralization of power in Denver that I know in the long run will not be good for the State of Colorado when local governments know best what our local communities need.”

**********

The El Paso County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) usually meets every Tuesday at 9 am at Centennial Hall, 200 S. Cascade Ave., Suite 150, Colo. Springs. Agendas and meetings can be viewed at www.agendasuite.org/iip/elpaso. Information is available at 719-520-643. BOCC land use meetings are normally held the second and fourth Thursdays of the month (as needed) at 1 pm in Centennial Hall.

Helen Walklett can be reached at helenwalklett@ocn.me.

Other El Paso County articles