By James Howald
At its January meeting, the El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority (EPCRLWA, or the Loop) heard from John Kuosman, the Loop’s workflow manager, regarding a request for proposal (RFP) to design the project’s water treatment process. The board heard a financial report from Corbin Fromm, of Fromm and Co. LLC, the Loop’s accounting firm, and a brief legal report from Nicole Peykov of SpencerFane, the Loop’s legal firm.
The meeting ended with an executive session to discuss negotiating positions regarding access to water rights.
Treatment RFP requires confidentiality
Kuosman told the board that the consultants with whom he had discussed the project’s water treatment requirements had requested that meetings with him be proprietary, so that their design suggestions would remain confidential. The consultants also requested access to specific drawings. Kuosman said he planned to issue the RFP on Monday, Jan. 20 and responses from consultants would be due by Feb. 27. He proposed scheduling interviews with a short list of consultants around March 10 and said he would recommend which consultant should be awarded the water treatment design work to the board at its March 20 meeting. He asked the board to agree to the release of the information requested and to agree that the meetings be held in a proprietary manner.
Board President Jessie Shaffer pointed out that the Loop board could not meet with the consultants and asked if they would need six weeks to put together their proposals. Kuosman said based on his experience, six weeks was appropriate to get well-developed proposals. Shaffer and board Secretary Jeff Hodge authorized Kuosman to release the information and hold the meetings as he requested.
Kuosman said questions he had received from the board about Colorado’s 1041 regulations, which concern the site selection and construction of major water treatment systems, would be incorporated into the RFP.
Kuosman told the board he had discussed the Cherokee Metropolitan District’s withdrawal from the Loop with Jenny Bishop of Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU). CSU has its own consultant working on the transmission and storage of re-used water, Kuosman said, and said it was glad the Loop was working on treatment issues. CSU was willing to participate in a water treatment pilot project, Kuosman said, and would consider donating staff and facilities.
Kuosman mentioned he had met with entities that were interested in water supplies owned by the Loop and one had made a formal request for additional information.
Financial report
Fromm told the board there was $25,000 in outstanding invoices for December, and the board voted to pay the claims. Fromm also said he believed the El Paso Board of County Commissioners would expedite the Loop’s request for $4 million in American Recovery Plan Act funds, and the Loop would receive that money possibly by the end of January.
Legal report
Peykov reminded the board that, due to the withdrawal of the Cherokee Metropolitan District from the project, it took only two Loop board members to make a quorum. A discussion between two board members would therefore be a public meeting that would need to be announced to the public with a minimum 24-hour notice, she said.
Executive session
Following the executive session, the board reconvened into open session and directed Kuosman to finalize and issue an RFP to address advanced water treatment plant services for the Loop.
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The next regular meeting is scheduled for Feb. 20 at 9 a.m. Regular meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 9 a.m. at the Monument Town Hall at 645 Beacon Lite Road. Workshop meetings are held the first Thursday of each month at 9 a.m. at the Monument Town Hall. Please see loopwater.org or call 719-488-3603 to verify meeting times and locations.
James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.
Other Loop articles
- El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, Oct. 15 – Board of County Commissioners slow to reimburse (10/30/2025)
- El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, Sept. 25 – Contract for reservoir expansion design awarded (10/2/2025)
- El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, Aug. 28 – Board considers public-private partnership financing (9/4/2025)
- El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, July 17 – 2024 finances receive clean audit opinion (7/31/2025)
- El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, June 26 – Board hears progress report (7/3/2025)
- El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, May 15 – Board officers elected (6/7/2025)
- El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, April 17 – Pumps and pipeline proposal out for bids (5/3/2025)
- El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, March 20 – Contract awarded for water treatment plant design and pilot test (4/5/2025)
- El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, Feb. 20 – Interim workflow manager joins Loop team (3/1/2025)
- El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, Dec. 19 – Cherokee Metro District withdraws from Loop project (1/4/2025)