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Triview Metropolitan District, Nov. 21 – 2025 annual budget approved; mill levies set

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) meeting on Nov. 21, the board approved the 2025 annual budget and certified the district’s mill levy. The board approved the fourth amendment to the agreement for contract operations services between Forest Lakes Metropolitan District (FLMD) and TMD, an audit engagement letter for the district’s 2024 financial audit, the annual administrative resolution, the amended and restated public records request policy, and a resolution calling for a May 6, 2025, election of the Board of Directors.

The board discussed the lack of response from the Town of Monument (TOM) relating to the Highway Users Tax Fund (HUTF) request. The board held an executive session pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes 24-6-402(4)(a), for the purpose of acquisition or sale of water/land, and 24-6-402(4)(e), to determine positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing strategies for negotiations, and instructing negotiators as it relates to potential development incentives and intergovernmental agreement.

Vice President Anthony Sexton was excused.

2025 budget

President Mark Melville opened the public hearing on the 2025 budget and, with no comments from the public, the hearing was closed.

District Manager James McGrady proposed the board approve 14.000 mills upon each dollar of the total valuation of assessment of all taxable property within the district for the year 2024 to balance the General Fund budget and meet the general obligation debt retirement expense of about $2.528 million. In the past, the debt service mill levy was 35 mills.

He also proposed the board approve 6.500 mills upon each dollar of the total valuation of assessment of all taxable property to meet the General Operations expense of about $1.174 million. The final assessed valuation of property levy will total 20.5 mills, with no change from 2024. The total assessed value for the district is about $180.591 million. The district anticipates receiving about $2.7 million in sales tax revenue from the TOM, and a total of about $8.9 million in combined revenue from Special Ownership Taxes (vehicle sales) for 2025, property tax from the TOM (about $450,000), Road and Bridge Impact Fees, and the revenue from providing services to FLMD ($150,000), said McGrady

Melville said it is the first time in five years the board has not approved an increase in mills for the general obligation debt.

McGrady said the district has some extraordinary expenses on the horizon, and the increase to 6.5 mills will be needed for the general operation of the district.

The board adopted the 2025 budget with minor adjustments and certified the mill levies in a 4-0 vote.

FLMD contract increase

The board also approved a 3% increase to the FLMD contract for operations and services to increase the hourly rates of service to coincide with the district employee benefits and salary cost-of-living allowance. The TMD Public Works and Open Spaces Department maintains the landscaping and public areas and provides snow removal in FLMD.

McGrady said the FLMD board will be requested to approve the increase at the annual public hearing on Dec. 2.

Other approved items

The board also approved the following:

  • An audit engagement letter for Haynie and Co. to complete the TMD 2024 financial audit for a fee not to exceed $29,000.
  • The 2025 annual administrative Resolution 2024-13, setting forth the board obligations.
  • The policy for responding to CORA requests with a maximum statuary charge increase to $41.37 per hour. The periodical increase is set by statute and had previously been set at $30.
  • A May 6, 2025, director election.

Election considerations

McGrady said the board will also need to consider ballot language in January 2025 to request removal of a revenue cap for the TABOR and a bond question to pay about $12 million for the widening of Higby Road and capital improvements. See https://wp.ocn.me/v24n11tmd/. The 2025 election may also include a question to remove term limits for board directors. Three incumbent directors are term limited, he said.

Highway Users Tax Fund dispute

McGrady said if the TOM were collecting Highway Users Tax Fund (HUTF) revenue correctly, the district should be receiving about $70,000 to $80,000 per month. The district paid a contractor to measure the roads and notified interim Town Manager Madeleine VanDenHoek via letter, requesting an agreement several months ago, he said.

Director Jason Gross said for every month the district does not receive a response from the TOM, the district is losing about $70,000 to $80,000 per month for road repairs.

McGrady said the town is claiming a third of the total roads and some of the TMD roads without reimbursing the district, and that is incorrect. TMD repairs the roads within the district at a cost to its residents. The HUTF is gas tax revenue collected statewide, and the town should be collecting the correct amount of revenue for all town roads (including TMD roads) and distributing the district’s HUTF portion to the district, McGrady said. Monument will need to continue collecting HUTF, and the district’s proposed cost-sharing agreement needs to be signed to allow the district to recover road repair costs in perpetuity, he said.

Note: TMD falls within the TOM municipality, and the Colorado HUTF has been available to municipalities since 2009. The district is responsible for repairs in the residential areas east of I-25, north of Baptist Road to encompass Sanctuary Pointe, Leather Chaps Drive, Jackson Creek Parkway, and up to and including the south portion of Higby Road.

The board discussed further action regarding the HUTF agreement in executive session.

Financial update

The board accepted the October 2024 financial report as presented and approved 17 checks over $5,000 totaling almost $1.389 million. The payment to Colorado Springs Utilities for the conveyance, treatment, and delivery of the district’s residential and commercial water was $261,053.

Water utilities update

Water Utilities Superintendent Gary Potter said the district produced about 32.206 million gallons (MG) of water in October 2024, with 29.942 MG billed to customers. Unbilled water represents a 5.05% loss for October, slightly lower than 5.60% in October 2023, but the district is still working on lowering the loss with the help of the District Administrator Sara Lamb. The loss is low at 5% compared to many districts and the district may never achieve 0%, said Potter.

Wells recharging

Potter presented the board with a graph showing well level trends from the start of the Northern Delivery System (NDS) operations and said the chart demonstrates a steady recharge of all static well levels since the NDS became the primary water source for the district from September through November. The dips show the 1% of water pumped to maintain well operation, but the recovery of the wells is a slow and steady recharge, and he anticipates a full recharge before irrigation season begins in 2025. The wells can drop hundreds of feet during high usage before recovery. The district is receiving 99% of its water via the NDS, said Potter.

Executive session

The board moved into an executive session at 8:13 p.m., pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes section 24-6-402(4)(a), for the purpose of acquisition or sale of water/land, and 24-6-402(4)(e), to determine positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing strategies for negotiations, and instructing negotiators as it relates to potential development incentives and intergovernmental agreement.

Sheffield confirmed to this reporter that after the meeting returned to the regular session at 9:40 p.m., no action was taken and the meeting adjourned at 9:48 p.m.

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Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of the month at the district office at 16055 Old Forest Point, Suite 302. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Dec. 16 at 5:30 p.m. For meeting agendas, minutes, and updates, visit https://triviewmetro.com.

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

Other Triview Metropolitan District articles

Triview Metropolitan District, Oct. 24 – Bond pursued for road widening project

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) meeting on Oct. 23, the board approved an engagement letter for the issuance of a General Obligation Bond Series for 2025 and a resolution to implement inclusion policies and fees. The board heard about operations staff responding to repair a water main break in Forest Lakes Metropolitan District (FLMD), tracking of the district’s well levels, and the steps taken to reach full automation of the Northern Delivery System (NDS) pump station.

The board held an executive session pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes 24-6-402(4)(a), for the purpose of acquisition of water/land, and 24-6-402(4)(e), to determine positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing strategies for negotiations, and instructing negotiators as it relates to claims and possible legal settlements.

Director Jason Gross attended the regular meeting until 6:10 p.m. and returned during the executive session at 7:55 p.m.

District pursues bond for road widening project

District Manager James McGrady said the district has been discussing the need for widening Higby Road for some time, spending time designing the project, and sought an original bid two or three years ago for $6 million. About three weeks ago, the bid was $12.6 million, and McGrady said:

  • The cost has been growing exponentially, and the district has had various agreements with the developer to fund the road, with the district planning to use road and bridge fees for the district’s portion of the project.
  • The problem is obtaining enough revenue from building permits and growth to fund the road.
  • The area is a “tricky spot” on the corner of Higby Road and Jackson Creek Parkway, with a lot of commercial to the south, and existing development to the north. The residential growth in Jackson Creek North (JCN) is typically only about 50-75 homes per year.
  • The district needs to pay for the road widening project, and eventually JCN will generate enough growth to pay back the cost to the district.
  • Issuing a bond will “jump start” the project instead of waiting for enough development to occur, avoiding a possible $15 million to $16 million project in the future, in an area that is an increasing safety issue.

McGrady recommended the board consider an engagement letter for General Fund Bonds to be issued with a low interest rate. The district has a 7 mills Operations & Management mill levy and the debt service fits well within the 7 mills. The project would be financed with about 4.5 mills out of the 7 mills. The district will be required to seek a vote from the residents in May 2025, asking to redirect the revenue without raising taxes, he said.

Nate Eckloff, managing director of Piper Sandler & Co., said a bond question would be structured for the May 2025 ballot for the primary purpose of widening Higby Road.

The board approved the engagement letter for the General Obligation Bond, Series 2025 for about $12 million, between Piper Sandler and TMD. Gross was absent for the vote.

Inclusion policies and fees adopted

Water attorney Chris Cummins said in the past the Family of Christ Church, Baptist Road had petitioned to be included into the district, but other residential and commercial property owners could petition to be included. The addition was ad hoc due to the lack of a resolution. He requested the board consider and approve Resolution 2024-11 to establish inclusion policies and fees.

The petitioner would be responsible for all of the district’s attorney fees, engineering costs, and staff time associated with the consideration and inclusion of the property. Each petition for inclusion of property must be accompanied by a non-refundable payment of $5,000 to defray the costs. If the Board of Directors or the district manager determines the amount is insufficient to cover the district’s anticipated fees and costs, the petitioner would be required to pay additional inclusion fees before any further consideration of the petition could take place.

The board approved the resolution, 4-0. Gross was absent for the vote.

NDS running effectively

McGrady said the district has operated the NDS pump station at 100% since Sept. 11, pumping district water via Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) about once a week, and the process is working well. The 19th payment of $55,506 to Kiewit was made, and the final payment will be some retainage for the pump station, said McGrady.

Assistant Manager Steve Sheffield said work continued on completing the NDS pump station to include the instrumentation, controls, and operational optimization, and that should make the operation of the pump station fully automated.

Water Utilities Superintendent Gary Potter said the NDS provided about 79% of the water produced in September, with only 21% from the wells. The groundwater wells and treatment filters will be run minimally on a rotating basis to ensure the district can utilize the wells when needed, said Potter.

Water rights decreed

McGrady said the Bale Ditch change case was decreed on Oct. 8, and all of the district’s water rights are decreed with the exception of the Excelsior Ditch water rights. A meeting with the experts indicates a clear path forward to decree the last of the water rights, he said.

Note: The district purchased water rights with multiple entities over a period of time for the purpose of delivering water to the district via the NDS. A decreed water right is the legal claim to the water that is secured by a water court decree. Legal documents define the amount, priority, location, and use of the water rights.

Recharge ponds under construction

McGrady said the construction of the recharge ponds on the Chicago Springs Ranch property in Buena Vista for the Arkansas Valley Irrigation Canal began on Oct. 23. The ponds allow water to be returned back to the system for the Historic Consumptive Use (HCU) and the Historic Return Flows (HRF), he said.

Note: The HCU is a measure of the actual beneficial use of a water right over a period of time. The HRF is the portion of unused water, captured to be returned downstream for other users.

District tracks well levels

Potter provided the board with historical well level data for the district’s Arapahoe Aquifer wells 7 and 8, and said:

  • The groundwater wells show a decrease in dynamic or pumping level over the past decade.
  • Most of the wells show a decrease in static or recharge level over the past decade.
  • The recharge rate of the wells will be closely tracked now that the district is minimally operating the wells.

It is hard to determine what the long-term static levels will be, but it is timely that the NDS is delivering the district’s water, said Potter.

Treasurer/Secretary James Barnhart said he was curious to see if the wells recover with less usage.

Potter said a graph shows a 10-year cycle using some historical handwritten records with limited data. The records are a good depiction, but they do not say how long the wells were run and how much water was pumped. The district has been monitoring for two months, but eventually monitoring might reveal if the wells can recover, he said.

Water utilities update

Potter said the district produced about 47.593 million gallons (MG) of water in Sept. 2024, with 43.864 MG billed to customers. Unbilled water represents a 6.25% loss for September 2024; it was 9.7% in September 2023. The district is still working on lowering the loss, said Potter.

McGrady said the district has about 20 Badger meters to install in residential homes, and next year the district will make a concerted effort to install new meters in the commercial properties and the inground irrigation meters. The new meters will help the district pin down the water loss to a minimum, a task that is critical now that CSU conveys, treats, and delivers the district’s water via the NDS, he said.

Financial update

The board unanimously approved the September 2024 financial report and 30 checks over $5,000 totaling about $1.713 million. Of note was the payment of $314,234 to CSU for the district’s residential and commercial water for the first month (includes additional startup costs).

The board accepted the financial report, 4-0.

District responds to water main break

Potter said the operations staff responded to a large water main break on Forest Lakes Drive on Oct. 2. Staff managed the emergency with an outstanding team effort, got the break under control and kept the plant running in a limp mode to provide everyone with water except for three Forest Lakes Metropolitan District customers he said. The contractor was able to get the plant up and running quickly, he said.

Higby Road repaired

McGrady said the district repaired the wavy patch on Higby Road that occurred after the installation of the 12-inch pipeline. It drives smoothly now, he said.

Executive session

The board moved into an executive session at 7:28 p.m., pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes section 24-6-402(4)(a), for the purpose of acquisition of water/land, and 24-6-402(4)(e), for the purpose of determining the positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing strategies for negotiations, and instructing negotiators as it relates to claims and possible legal settlements.

Sheffield confirmed to this reporter that after the meeting returned to the regular session at 9:06 p.m., no action was taken.

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Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of the month at the district office at 16055 Old Forest Point, Suite 302. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Nov. 21 at 5:30 p.m. For meeting agendas, minutes, and updates, visit https://triviewmetro.com.

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

Other Triview Metro District articles

Triview Metropolitan District, Sept. 19 – Northern Delivery System fully operational; resident raises traffic concerns

By Natalie Barszcz

Post-publication Update

The next regular meeting of the Triview Metropolitan District board of directors has been changed from October 17 to October 24.

At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) meeting on Sept. 19, the board heard about the Northern Delivery System (NDS) delivering district water via Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) and the pumping capabilities of the NDS pump station, dangerous traffic concerns for students within the district, and approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between Chaffee County and the district. The board held an executive session to discuss water and land acquisitions, and potential development incentives and IGAs.

Director Amanda Carlton attended via Zoom.

Northern Delivery System running effectively

District Manager James McGrady said the NDS pump station began running on Aug. 29, and since Sept. 11 the district has reduced the outflow from the wells dramatically. Its customers are receiving district water conveyed, treated and delivered via CSU. A tiny bit of usage occurred on Sept. 18 to keep up the chlorine levels in the filters and to exercise the wells by pumping about 96,000 gallons. The rest of the district’s water, 92 acre-feet, was pumped through the NDS pump station. The district will use the 490-acre-feet lease-purchased water from Pueblo through March, and then the district will use its stored water in Pueblo Reservoir. Then run-off season begins and the district will add water back to its portfolio. It is working as expected, said McGrady.

Water Utilities Superintendent Gary Potter said the wells will be run once a week, just enough to turn over the clear well in the plant, or about 90,000 gallons, to keep chlorine residual in the clear well and keep some of the filters available if needed, rotating through at a minimum pace before putting it into the tank and then the distribution system.

McGrady said the pump station was tested with two pumps running (it was installed with three) designed to run with two at 1,500 pounds each, pumping 3,000 gallons a minute, running for six hours. It was proof that the pump station can maintain what it was designed to do, he said. The district has pumped 290-acre-feet so far, and the tank filled up quickly, said McGrady.

Potter said the NDS has delivered over 16 million gallons to the district, and the highest daily production was 2.7 million gallons. Start up and training on the NDS has been the primary focus of the TMD Water Department over the past month, said Potter.

Speeding concerns on Gleneagle Drive

Promontory Pointe Resident Anissa Prickett said motorists are traveling from Sanctuary Pointe down Gleneagle Drive through Promontory Pointe to Baptist Road exceeding the posted speed signs of 25 and 30 miles per hour, but many motorists are speeding at 50-60 miles per hour. She said her son was hit once while riding his bike to school and crossing Leather Chaps Drive. He has almost been hit twice crossing the road from the bus, she said. She was almost hit for a fourth time dropping her daughter at the bus stop, having to pick up her daughter and run the crosswalk several times. Prickett said the D38 bus driver is beside himself because motorists ignore the stationary bus with the stop signs out and travel around the bus as the driver honks his horn.

President Mark Melville said the district does not provide law enforcement and it installed the speed signs. Speeding has been an issue since buildout on Gleneagle Drive, he said.

Treasurer/Secretary James Barnhart said he has seen the same problems with speeding motorists ignoring school bus stop signs on Sanctuary Rim Drive.

Prickett said she recorded some license plates, called and left messages with Monument Police Department (MPD), but the recorded message states they may or may not return calls in 24 hours, and calls were not returned.

Carlton said the bus stops should not be on Gleneagle Drive for safety reasons, and rather be located on the side streets.

McGrady said he would reach out to MPD to request increased monitoring.

Melville said he would reach out to the D38 superintendent regarding the location of the pickup stops and suggest a camera for the school bus.

Chaffee County intergovernmental agreement

McGrady said the IGA was approved by the Chaffee County Commissioners, avoiding a lengthy, expensive process to obtain a 1041 permit. The IGA will allow the district to begin construction projects such as the ponds and diversion stations. He requested the board review and consider approving the IGA between Chaffee County and TMD regarding ditch changes and construction projects associated with the Arkansas Valley Irrigation Canal Co.’s Ditch and Bale Ditch 1 and 2.

The board unanimously approved the IGA, with authorization for McGrady to sign the IGA on behalf of the district.

Water utilities update

Potter said the district produced about 45.374 million gallons (MG) of water in August 2024, with 42.291 MG billed to customers (water pumped in August 2023 was 45.900 MG with 38.908 MG billed). Unbilled water represents a 7% loss for August 2024; it was 15% in Aug. 2023, but the district’s water loss is a low number compared with the 40% monthly loss at the district where he was previously employed, said Potter.

District Administrator Sara Lamb said some of the water loss was generated by Monument Fire Department conducting two-day hose drills in Monument Marketplace.

McGrady said it was an obscene amount shooting into the air, but now that the district is being billed by CSU for water conveyance, treatment, and delivery, the water for fire department drills will not be free in the future, he said.

Financial update

The board unanimously approved the August financial report as presented and 21 checks over $5,000 totaling about $1.764 million. Of note was the 5% retainage payment of almost $1.3 million to Kiewit Infrastructure Co. for the construction of the NDS pipeline.

Mountain View Electric Association rebates

McGrady said he attended the Mountain View Electric Association (MVEA) key customer gathering on Sept. 18. The executive director, engineering staff, and account managers were available to receive input from the key customers and major users, such as the area water and wastewater districts. Attendees were informed of the substantial rebates available for each installed Variable Frequency Drive (VFD). The district installed VFDs on every pump at each plant, including the NDS pump station. The VFDs pump up and ramp down to run different speeds and avoid high use charges. MVEA is also considering “time of day” use rates for commercial users. The district can afford to be off-line during peak times with the pumping capability of the NDS, allowing the district to catch up off-peak to save money on power usage, said McGrady.

Executive session

The board moved into an executive session at 7:29 p.m., pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes section 24-6-402(4)(a) for the purpose of acquisition of water/land, and 24-6-402(4)(b) for the purpose of determining the positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing strategies for negotiations, and instructing negotiators as it relates to potential development incentives and intergovernmental agreements.

Assistant Manager Steve Sheffield confirmed that after the meeting returned to the regular session at 8:50 p.m., no action was taken. A brief discussion resumed about the traffic issues on Gleneagle Drive.

The meeting adjourned at 9:02 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. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Oct. 17 at 5:30 p.m. For meeting agendas, minutes, and updates, visit https://triviewmetro.com.

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

Other Triview Metropolitan District articles

Triview Metropolitan District, Aug. 22 – 2023 budget amended; 2023 audit presented; district opposes initiatives 50 and 108

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) meeting on Aug. 22, the board held public hearings to amend the 2023 budget and accepted the 2023 audit draft presented by Haynie and Co. for the district’s audited financial statements. The board approved multiple resolutions relating to the 2023 budget amendment and the audit, and the 2024 employee handbook.

The board adopted a resolution in opposition to statewide proposals for initiatives 50 and 108 and approved an agreement between the district and the Town of Monument (TOM) to receive Highway User Tax Funds (HUTF). The board held an executive session to discuss water and land acquisitions, and potential development incentives and intergovernmental agreements.

Treasurer/Secretary James Barnhart was excused.

2023 budget amendment

District Manager James McGrady said the 2023 budget requires amendments because projections of how much money will be spent is a bit of a guess, and various things can happen. The 2023 budget projected in October 2022 allocated about $7.999 million for the General Fund/Capital Projects Fund, but in reality, it needed to be about $8.1 million to cover expenditures, so about a $100,000 difference.

About $25.254 million was allocated for the Water and Wastewater Enterprise Fund/Capital Projects Fund but the district actually spent about $29.146 million, with most of the additional funds used to purchase materials in advance for the Northern Delivery System. He requested the board approve the 2023 budget amendment for the General Fund/Capital Projects Fund and for the Water and Wastewater Enterprise Fund/Capital Projects Fund to balance the books before the 2023 audit is presented for approval.

The board approved Resolution 2024-08, amending the 2023 budget.

2023 audit presentation

Audit Manager Greg Ingalls of Haynie and Co. presented the 2023 audit and said his audit partner Christine McLeod had some small items to complete before the audit can be finalized. The opinion will be unmodified based upon the testing procedures and would be issued upon acceptance of the draft audit.

District Accountant Kathy Fromm, of Fromm and Co., said the audit is subject to final review for some open items.

The board accepted the draft audit subject to final audit review with direction to staff to file the audit with the state.

District opposes statewide ballot initiatives

District counsel George Rowley of White Bear Ankele Tanaka and Waldron law firm said two statewide proposed initiatives 50 and 108 have been approved by Secretary of State Jena Griswold and will likely be on the ballot in November. A special legislative session has been called to try to appease the people who have sponsored the initiatives and get the sponsors to remove the initiatives. Rowley said:

  • Initiative 50 would amend the Colorado Constitution to limit property tax growth to 4% per year and would require a statewide vote for any increase above that percentage, but in many years natural inflation has been more than 4%.
  • Both initiatives turn local government budgeting decisions for “special districts” such as water/wastewater and fire districts, over to a statewide voter decision.
  • It is unknown how Initiative 50 will be applied and although Initiative 108 is a little less scary, the cuts would be significant and require the district to cut back.
  • Initiative 108 reduces the residential property tax rate from 6.7% to 5.7% and the commercial property tax rate from 27% to 24%.

The district is opposed to these proposals and the statewide solution that would be devasting to most districts, Rowley said. If Initiative 50 passes, reducing tax growth to no more than 4% per year, it would halt government financing from general obligation bonds, and districts would not be able to predict budgets and pledge revenues. It would paralyze a lot of municipal financing within the state, because the 4% cap on tax growth applies to both residential and commercial, and it does not differentiate between new growth increasing the tax base or inflation, said Rowley.

President Mark Melville said with all the commercial growth coming into the district, the tax cap would cripple the district, and TMD would not see the revenue for years. If this initiative passes, anyone needing to build a pipeline will be doomed to begin a project without bonds. The district has roads to maintain and the expense of snow removal, but luckily TMD is trailing off on capital improvements, he said.

Vice President Anthony Sexton said the initiatives have been developed for old neighborhoods in Denver that have no new growth.

McGrady said that for example, the addition of a $50 million warehouse in the district would leave the district with no choice but to roll back the mill levy on the whole district to remain within the 4% cap. The measures will cripple special district fire departments that typically have a lot of debt, he said.

Water Attorney Chris Cummins said the initiatives are not written for local governments but as a populist measure to reduce taxes. If these measures had already been in place, the district would not have been able to build the NDS. However, the district had good financial planning, with its revenue bonds, and built in the greatest cycle of growth, particularly in the housing market. The property tax revenues went up and up with growth, and the board responded by lowering the mills back down for the residents, avoiding collecting all of the property tax revenue available. The district was able to build new infrastructure and purchase water rights with the addition of 150-200 homes per year. A 4% cap on tax revenue would restrict growth and services in the future, he said.

The board approved Resolution 2024-10, opposing the ballot initiatives.

2024 employee handbook

Michelle Fergusson of Ireland Stapleton Pryor Pascoe PC law firm said the key goal was to update the 2024 Policy and Procedures Employee handbook with the prolific number of changes made by federal and state employment laws over the past few years. The handbook has significant updates regarding the drug and alcohol policy, specifically for licenses and marijuana, vehicle requirements for personal and district-owned vehicles, discipline steps and termination, updated language for the FAMLI, a state benefit offering Colorado workers access to paid sick leave, with some incentive changes to the district’s own sick leave and vacation policies, said Fergusson.

McGrady said the old policy manual seemed geared around employees remaining with the district for only five years, but most employees have remained far beyond that tenure.

The board approved resolution 2024-09 adopting the handbook effective Sept. 1.

Highway Users Tax Fund agreement

McGrady said the Highway Users Tax Fund (HUTF) is a gasoline tax (.43 cents per gallon) collected for the entire state into a kitty, then held and distributed to entities responsible for the maintenance of public roads, in most cases for the state, counties, and municipalities. The cut is dependent on how many lane miles each entity maintains, but as more electric vehicles are purchased, less tax would be collected in the future, but Colorado is growing and the HUTF is growing. The district currently has about 135 lane miles to maintain, and the TOM has about 50 miles to maintain, for a total of about 185 miles of lane roads. The TOM is collecting only about 60 miles of revenue per year, and some of those roads are within TMD. The TOM is receiving about $300,000 annually for 60 miles but should be receiving about $900,000 annually from the HUTF if the TMD roads were included.

Rowley found a similar intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between a county in southwest Colorado and a metro district that had to maintain a lot of lane miles. A proposed IGA between TMD and TOM to allow a share back to the district for future road maintenance would be “free money” to really help the district without hurting the TOM. The district will calculate the total lane miles for both entities and include an additional 5% reimbursement to the town. The district maintains its own roads, represents about 60% of the Monument population, and has not previously been included in the town’s calculations for the HUTF, said McGrady.

The board approved McGrady and Rowley presenting the HUTF IGA agreement to the TOM for review and consideration, with a correction to the calculating line mile formula.

Higby Road update

McGrady said the 12-inch main pipeline under Higby Road had been completed. Due to an application error during the curing process, the asphalt overlay patch cured with a wavy appearance. The patch will be re-milled and sealed by the contractor at no additional cost to the district.

Sheffield said the design plans for the Higby Road improvements are complete and ready to be submitted to the TOM.

Director Jason Gross said he thought the final design for the Higby Road project had already been approved by the TOM.

McGrady said the district submitted the design to the TOM, the TOM made comments on it, then the district addressed the comments and re-submitted the design. The TOM approved the plat for the Zeal for Living apartments access road for the right-of-way and the Town Council were only concerned about the width of the right-of-way, but not the width of Higby Road design. The design is being submitted to the TOM staff, but the Town Council will not vote again during the process, he said.

Buena Vista land annexation update

McGrady said the annexation agreement for the Chicago Ranch (293.96 acres located in Chaffee County, across the road from the Buena Vista Rodeo Grounds) was approved for annexation into the town of Buena Vista and recorded on Aug. 22, and everything will be finalized by mid-September. The annexation was necessary for constructing recharge ponds for the district to control water rights associated with the Arkansas Valley Irrigation Canal Co.’s Ditch and change the water rights to municipal uses for the district’s purposes. The district hopes to construct the ponds as soon as possible, he said. See https://wp.ocn.me/v24n8tmd.

Northern Delivery System update

McGrady said the NDS ribbon-cutting ceremony was a success. See article on page < 14 >.

Assistant Manager Steve Sheffield introduced Gary Potter, the new Water Utilities superintendent, and said he had attended multiple NDS start-up coordination meetings with Kiewit staff, Colorado Springs Utilities staff, Timberline staff, electricians, and other stakeholders. The start-up date on Aug. 20 was a success, and the district pushed water from Colorado Springs Utilities through the district’s system, but the system was shut down until Aug. 28 due to some issues with the chlorine pressure reducing valve, some programming, and power issues. The district is making progress testing the system and the team did not expect to “flip the switch and walk away from it, it’s a process,” said Sheffield.

Water utilities update

Sheffield said the district had the highest record of well water pumped in July, producing about 54.679 million gallons (MG) (the district water pumped in July 2023 was 28.926 MG). The district billed 52.241 MG to customers in July. The percent loss for July 2024 would have been 4.45%, but the additional water was used for backwashing and to flush five miles of the NDS line in preparation for the NDS pump station start up. The actual billable water was 51.3 MG, and about a 1.8% water loss, said Sheffield.

Sexton asked if the district would have less water loss in the future when the district receives its water via the NDS that feeds directly into the tanks versus moving water from wells to the tanks.

McGrady said there should be less water loss in the system as the district will not backwash nearly as much as it did when reliant on its wells. The district’s water will enter the NDS pre-treated via Colorado Springs Utilities and 40 new meters throughout the district are bound to be more accurate. “Everything is as tight as possible,” he said.

Assistant manager’s report

Sheffield said the following:

  • The district staff is working toward the final design for a new administrative office space/shop to be built on a site west of I-25 and northwest of Baptist Road. Several significant changes to the building layout have been incorporated into the design since the July meeting. The site purchase has yet to be finalized and approved by the board.
  • Repairs were conducted on the Earth Cam camera at the South Reservoir. The camera had “seized” due to a communication wire that was cut due to rubbing on a sharp metal edge.
  • Work continues with NES and RESPEC teams to develop plans for a new 1.5-million-gallon water storage tank to be located adjacent to the existing storage tank in “B Plant” in Promontory Pointe. Plans will be submitted to the TOM soon.
  • The sporting field booking schedule for the Sanctuary Pointe Park is up and running on the district website. The interface between the website and the payment and scheduling aspect was more complicated than anticipated, but demand for field time is strong and launching the platform was a high priority.

Snow truck requested

Superintendent Matt Rayno requested the board consider approving the build of a new plow truck for the district snow removal services. The dump truck outfitted with a plow and a stainless-steel bed to prevent salt erosion could be built and delivered in early 2025 for $257,000 (the new truck is a 2022 model). The truck would be used for snow removal 90% of the time but would also be utilized for landscaping. The district has three trucks that are about 22-25 years old, and one truck would be sold upon delivery of the new truck. The existing trucks were all purchased used, including the truck purchased in 2023.

McGrady said the district will need to be careful with the 2025 budget, and the truck purchase might be the vast majority of the Parks and Open Space capital expenditures next year. The district roadways are in good condition, and the district could back down on an overlay project next year, and/or delay playground equipment for a year. The district is building its own office/shop space and will need to vacate the leased office space at the end of 2025, and has minimal road infrastructure to complete, but “we will need to watch the pennies,” he said.

The board instructed Rayno to proceed with the build-out of a new truck for inclusion in the 2025 budget.

Executive session

The board moved into an executive session at 8:20 p.m., pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes section 24-6-402(4)(a), for the purpose of acquisition of water/land, and 24-6-402(4)(b), for the purpose of determining the positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing strategies for negotiations, and instructing negotiators as it relates to potential development incentives and intergovernmental agreements.

Sheffield confirmed that after the meeting returned to the regular session, no action was taken and the meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m.

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Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of the month at the district office located at 16055 Old Forest Point, Suite 302. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 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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Triview Metropolitan District, July 18 – Northern Delivery System complete; land annexation approved

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) meeting on July 18, the board heard about the Northern Delivery System (NDS) pipeline project completion and the anticipated delivery date of water to the residents, approved a land annexation to the Town of Buena Vista, received an update on the Higby Road pipeline installation, and heard the district had hired a replacement for the retired water utilities superintendent. The board held an executive session to discuss water and land acquisitions, and potential development incentives and intergovernmental agreements.

Directors Amanda Carlton and Jason Gross attended via Zoom.

Treasurer/Secretary James Barnhart was excused.

Northern Delivery System update

Background: The NDS is a six-mile pipeline that will bring the district’s renewable water to Triview and Forest Lakes customers. The district will transition from dependence on nonrenewable Denver Basin groundwater to the district’s acquired water rights. Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) will convey, treat, and deliver the district’s water via the CSU water tank off Highway 83 (opposite Old Northgate Road). The district constructed a booster pump house containing three pumps near the tank, with the combined capability of moving 4,500 gallons per minute of treated water to the district’s C plant in Sanctuary Pointe. The district’s Denver Basin wells will remain available to provide water on high-demand days and during periods of extreme drought.

District Manager James McGrady said the NDS is about 98% complete and the district is expected to begin pumping water to its customers on July 30. The district has about $536,000 left to pay on the NDS and has paid about $21.744 million so far. Some small items popped up during the construction and design phase that totaled about $400,000, and the district added segment D, an additional 1,000-foot waterline on the west side of I-25, and the overlay of the access road off Highway 83 to the pump station, pushing the project about $1 million over the original budget, but it was not unusual due to the size of the project. The final cost will be about $22.274 million, he said.

Assistant Manager Steve Sheffield said the NDS pump station filled the lines with water, then staff “let it cook” with chlorine overnight and conducted a flush then a bacteriological (Bacti) test and pressure tested the system. The results “came back good and it is all good news.” The utility crews also completed a chlorine injection pump skid at C plant in anticipation of the NDS pump station startup. The potential for additional dosing of chlorine at C plant will be available if necessary. The water quality from Colorado Springs Utilities will need to be determined, he said.

Buena Vista land annexation

McGrady said the district purchased the 293.96-acre Chicago Ranch in Chaffee County and across the road from the Buena Vista rodeo grounds in late 2020 to construct recharge ponds for the district to control water rights associated with the Arkansas Valley Irrigation Canal Co.’s Ditch and change the water rights to municipal uses for the district’s purposes. The annexation process that includes a land annexation plan, plat, and request for a zone change has been submitted to the town of Buena Vista. The masterplan for the project has been approved by the Buena Vista Town Council, and the annexation public hearing meeting is scheduled for Aug. 13. The process has taken three years, and after the public hearing the district anticipates building the recharge ponds next spring. The district will begin diverting water from Cottonwood Creek in Chaffee County, he said.

Land Use Attorney Caitlin Quander of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP said the July 9 meeting application was substantially complete, and the property also requires zoning into the town and annexing. The annexation allows for the creation of public recreation trails and the district’s use of water rights on the property. It is a two-stage process and a “win-win” for the Buena Vista community, said Quander.

Gross asked if any risks to the district could occur with the annexation.

Vice President Anthony Sexton said the district will not receive any compensation for giving Buena Vista the land.

McGrady said the district paid about $35 per acre, which is all that the land is worth because of the moratorium against development in Buena Vista. The town’s goal was to develop the land as open space as it joins the Rodeo Grounds. The Town Council could not figure out how to get the land into the town and obtain the water rights. The district agreed to give up the property that is about 100 miles from Monument. Any accidents on the property would be the town’s responsibility. The annexation has the complete “buy in” from the Buena Vista Town Council, the users, and residents.

The district will contribute 1,040 hours of in-kind contributions or fund $38,000 annually for maintenance of the property for 10 years and provide $100,000 toward the initial infrastructure of a parking lot and a couple of trails. The district’s park and open space crews would spend a few days building trails for public use and access to the ponds. The total cost is about $600,000 without the design fees, McGrady said.

Quander said the town is the processor for the annexation, and the district has avoided a lengthy 1041 process with the county. She requested the board approve Resolution 2024-06 ratifying the annexation of the district-owned property known as Chicago Ranch into the Town of Buena Vista and Resolution 2024-07, which conveys the same property to the town.

Gross said it is a great example of two small communities working together.

McGrady said it is an unusual example, as most big cities along the Front Range muscle into small communities, but the district has earned the trust of the Buena Vista residents.

The board approved both resolutions in a 4-0 vote.

Higby Road update

McGrady said the district began construction of a 12-inch pipeline from Higby Road to create a loop from the east side of the district with a 16-inch pipeline under I-25 to the west side near the Conexus area. The pipeline will be extended south and tie in near Woodmen Valley Chapel north, where another 16-inch pipe exists under I-25, to create a two-source flow of water. The Higby Road pipeline is about two-thirds complete, and crews are expected to reach Bowstring Road by late July.

The next steps will be finishing the storm water drainage, installing the waterline, and relocating the power lines underground. All utilities will need to be installed before the district goes to bid for the widening project. The road will be patched until the widening project begins. A bond could be issued to pay for the widening project in 2025 for Sub-District A that is rapidly being developed south of Higby Road, he said.

Water Utilities update

Sheffield said he interviewed three candidates for the Water Utilities superintendent position vacated by Shawn Sexton upon retirement. Gary Potter, a former employee of Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District who is returning to the area after running a small district in Baca County, was selected and will begin on Aug. 12.

McGrady said the position has been increased to include water accounting experience besides treatment facility operator, and the job title includes raw water collection experience and treatment manager. Potter is also experienced to maximize the water exchanges the district will be making frequently, he said.

Sheffield also said:

  • The district had the highest record of water pumped in June, producing about 48.230 million gallons. It is a big jump from June 2023, which was a high rain month. The district anticipates July will also be high. He is comfortable with the 7% increase in pumped water considering the amount of new construction in the district.
  • A joint meeting at the Upper Monument Creek Regional Waste Water Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF) with Executive Director/Manager Bill Burks of Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility and the UMCRWWTF staff resulted in a decision to hire a third-party calibration of the flumes and meters to discover the influent versus effluent for the district, Forest Lake Metropolitan District, and Donala Water and Sanitation District. See wp.ocn.me/v24n7tmd/.
  • A valve on Leather Chaps Drive near Bear Creek Elementary School had been directly buried without protection at the time of installation and the bonnet bolts were completely corroded. A new gate valve was installed and properly wrapped to prevent corrosion. For some reason, the valves in the area around the school were not inspected correctly when installed and many are beginning to corrode.
  • The Utility Department crews worked with the Public Works Department crews to repair the 2-inch irrigation line on Jackson Creek Parkway near the Taekwondo Center. The Vactor 900 truck also assisted, as crews repaired the defective copper line flare fitting in the irrigation system.
  • The Dish Network cell tower placement on the C plant water tank is mostly completed. District crews supervised the installation of the equipment on the building. The project will be up and running soon after some “right of way” issues are resolved. The district will receive $1,800 per month from Dish Network to use the tank.

Parks and open space update

Superintendent Matt Rayno said the following:

  • The Swing Park Trail (Gleneagle Drive) had serious erosion last spring and repairs are almost complete.
  • The completion of the St. Lawrence Trail that began in spring with installation of 39 steps will be completed down to Glenegale Drive in early September.

Legislative update

Sheffield said that at a water education class he attended recently, a presentation given by the state senator who wrote the resolution about artificial turf installation revealed that the artificial turf replacement ban applies only to non-functional areas such as decorative medians and landscaping, so the Sanctuary Pointe Park sports field would not be restricted because it is a functional area. See wp.ocn.me/v24n7tmd/.

Financial report

McGrady said the district sold a lot of water in June and also in July and has sold over 50 taps to major builders in the Jackson Creek area. The district will likely exceed the estimated taps for 2024 now that Toll Brothers is building in Jackson Creek North with Traylon and Richmond Homes. The district is on target for an unexpected, good year. The district closed the gap on sales tax, receiving a combined total of $300,347 in June, but the discussion regarding sales tax will continue in executive session, he said.

The board approved the checks over $5,000 and accepted the June financial report as presented 4-0.

Note: The district budgeted $1.650 million in combined sales tax for 2024. As of May 31, the district had received $599,390.

Policy and procedures manual updates

McGrady said the staff had been working on the 2024 revisions to the district’s personnel policy and procedures manual for about a year, after being first put together 10 years ago. Since that time a lot of regulations and policies have changed, and Michelle Ferguson of Ireland Stapleton Pryor Pascoe PC Law Firm was hired to implement the changes. Some district staff have been employees for over 10 years, and the district needed to ensure the policies were in compliance with new laws and regulations. The changes are not “over the top or overly punitive, just clear and clean.” He requested the board examine the policy manual and approve the updated manual at the August meeting. A lot of changes to be implemented were driven by staff members, he said.

Executive session

The board moved into an executive session at 7:09 p.m. pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes sections 24-6-402(4)(a), for the purpose of acquisition of water/land, and 24-6-402(4)(b), for the purpose of determining the 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 meeting returned to the regular session, no action was taken, and the meeting adjourned at 8:36 p.m.

Above: The Vactor 900 combination sewer cleaner truck is shown with operator David Clegg during the district’s annual sewer system cleaning in The Heights at Jackson Creek on July 17. The sewer system maintenance team is led by Supervisor/Manager Kevin Fackerell, and the truck is crewed by Clegg and Alejandro Curiel. The district received the truck in September 2023 to avoid outsourcing costly sewer maintenance. The crew is almost finished cleaning the district’s entire sewer system, with only Sanctuary Pointe left to be cleaned. Photo by Natalie Barszcz.

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Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of the month at the district office located at 16055 Old Forest Point, Suite 302. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 22 at 5:30 p.m. For meeting agendas, minutes, and updates, visit triviewmetro.com.

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

Other Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) articles