OCN

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

OCN > ws

ws

Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, Sept. 16 – Board hears financial and operational report

By James Howald

At its September meeting, the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District (WWSD) board introduced its newly hired district engineer. It heard financial and operational reports from board Treasurer Roy Martinez, District Manager Jessie Shaffer, and Operations Superintendent Dan LaFontaine. The meeting ended with an executive session, after which no actions were taken.

Cydney Saelens joins staff

Shaffer introduced Cydney Saelens, who replaces Ariel Hacker as district engineer. Saelens graduated from Colorado State University in 2020 and spent four years at RICK, an engineering, planning and design firm where she did land development and drainage design.

Financial reports made user-friendly

Martinez told the board Office Manager Cory Lynch and Shaffer had worked with a consultant to redesign the district’s financial reports, making them easier to understand and closer to what the board members are used to seeing. He said additional changes would be made to the reports.

Martinez explained the balance sheet had been split into two pages, the first detailing assets and the second liabilities and stockholders’ equity. He said only minor changes had been made to the line items within those larger categories.

The statement of revenues had also been expanded into two pages, Martinez said, adding the excess water sale line item was renamed supplemental water service to make plain that water rights were not being sold.

The budget worksheet, published in board packets and used to track the district’s finances on a monthly basis, had also been updated, Martinez said.

Directors Tom Roddham and Bill Clewe said they liked the additional detail the new reports provided.

Operational reports

Clewe, who serves as the district’s liaison with the Joint Use Committee (JUC) that manages the waste treatment plant WWSD shares with the Towns of Palmer Lake and Monument, told the board he had reviewed the JUC’s 2025 budget, which will increase from $1.9 million in 2024 to $2.7 million. Clewe said increases to construction, operation, insurance and engineering costs all contributed to the larger budget. WWSD is responsible for about 29% of the cost of operating the treatment plant, he said, and the Towns of Palmer Lake and Monument were each responsible for 35%.

In his Manager’s Report, Shaffer told the board he was vetting different methods the district might use to finance its portion of the Loop water re-use project. He was discussing this with Andrew Rheem of Raftelis, the consulting firm that helps the district set rates for its water and sewer services. Shaffer said fee increases and General Obligation bonds were being considered. He noted a presentation by Magellan Consulting Group that he attended which focused on presenting requests for bonds to voters. Shaffer said he would present financing options to the board at its November meeting.

Shaffer reported progress on the effort to build a new 650,000-gallon concrete storage tank and said he expected construction to begin in 2025. There are only two manufacturers of concrete storage tanks in the United States, he said, so scheduling the construction was difficult.

LaFontaine reported one shear and two services failures for the previous month. He said he is continuing to examine the meters at the district’s treatment plants and replace or repair them as needed.

LaFontaine noted that a high level of manganese in the water delivered to customers prompted a return to 100% surface water from a blend of surface and ground water. The level of manganese did not represent a health risk to customers, he said.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session to discuss negotiating positions regarding the district’s participation in the Loop water reuse project and discussions with Classic Homes. No action was taken following the executive session.

Correction

In last month’s article, Dan LaFontaine was incorrectly referred to as operations supervisor. His correct job title is operations superintendent.

**********

The next meeting has been moved to Oct. 14 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; the September meeting is delayed by a week. 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. 18 – Board reviews rate study

By Jackie Burhans and James Howald

At its September meeting, the Monument Sanitation District (MSD) board heard a report on a rate study performed by GMS Inc. and an operational report from District Manager Mark Parker. The board discussed the three board seats that will be open in the next election cycle.

Dannah Koeniger, a project engineer, and Erica Countryman, a staff engineer, both with GMS, presented to the board their study of the district’s rates. Koeniger said the purpose of the study was to ensure that the district would have adequate revenue to cover planned operational expenditures. Capital projects were not included in the study. Rates should be fair, reasonable and justifiable, she said.

At present, the residential rate is $40 per month and the commercial rate is $40 per month for the first 5,000 gallons of wastewater and $5.10 for each 1,000 gallons thereafter, Koeninger said. The late fee is 5% of the unpaid balance. The district has 1,635 residential accounts and 135 commercial accounts. The study used a five-year review period from 2025 to 2029 and assumed an annual growth of 10 residential accounts per year during that period. Expenditures were projected to increase 4% per year due to inflation, and the study assumed $59,700 per year in revenue from interest, rental of part of the headquarters building, and other sources.

Koeniger said rates should generate $50,000 per year beyond operating costs so the district can build its reserves. The district could consider one large increase during the review period or smaller annual increases to meet this goal, she said. Koeniger noted the district had last raised its rates in 2020.

Countryman noted a big jump in the district’s expenses between 2021 and 2023 and said she expected 2024 “to come in negative.” She said the costs of salaries and benefits have increased in every community between 2021 and 2023 and she wanted to make sure the district could keep qualified staff. The cost of electricity has increased, which affects the cost of operating lift stations, she said.

Koeniger pointed out that newly published standards for wastewater treatment, such as the standards for PFAS chemicals, would also increase the district’s expenses.

Parker said the board would discuss the future of its rates at the November board meeting,

Manager’s report

In his manager’s report, Parker said the lift stations were working well, there were no issues with the tenants renting space in the district’s building, and improvements to the district’s supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA) were on budget but taking longer than expected as issues with upgrades to the radios not yet resolved.

Parker asked the board to approve Resolution 09182024-1, which specifies the MSD office is open from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and closed on Fridays. The board voted unanimously to approve the resolution.

Parker said MSD’s old website was not automatically forwarding to the new website, but that problem has been fixed.

Three board seats to be vacant

Director John Howe pointed out that three directors would need to be elected in 2025. Parker explained that board President Dan Hamilton and Howe have both served two terms and are term limited, but Director Skip Morgan could run for a second term.

**********

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 Oct. 16. See https://MonumentSanitationDistrict.org. For a district service map, see https://MonumentSanitationDistrict.org/district-map. 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

El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, Sept. 19 – Board postpones non-disclosure agreements

By James Howald

The El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority (EPCRLWA, or the Loop) board met briefly in September to hear a progress report from John Kuosman, a water practice leader with Merrick and Co., who serves as the Loop’s workflow manager. Board President Jessie Shaffer gave a financial report. The meeting ended with an executive session after which no action was taken.

Madeline Vandenhoek, the interim town manager for the Town of Monument, replaced the previous Town Manager Mike Foreman. The Cherokee Metropolitan District did not have a representative at the meeting.

Progress report

Kuosman told the board he had sent a letter to Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) asking for its timeline on allowing the Loop to use the Southern Delivery System pipeline to convey the Loop’s water and to use the Edward W. Bailey Water Treatment Plant to treat its water. The Loop has been trying to negotiate the use of CSU’s infrastructure for several months without reaching an agreement. Kuosman said he thought CSU could be open to sharing resources with the Loop at the end of 2025.

Kuosman said three of the Loop’s providers—EPCOR, a financing company, Vidler Water Company Inc., which develops water supplies, and Tallgrass Water, a water infrastructure company—had requested the Loop board sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with them to protect their financial estimates. Kuosman said he and Nicole R. Peykov, the Loop’s attorney, recommended waiting before signing the NDAs provided in the board packet for the meeting. In response to Kuosman’s recommendation, the board tabled its vote on the NDAs.

Financial report

Shaffer listed five invoices the Loop had received in the last month from providers:

  • Fromm & Co., $592.
  • JVA Inc., $5,268.
  • Kimley Horn, $1,780.
  • American Co., $12,010.
  • Spencer Fane, $4,204.

The board voted unanimously to approve paying the invoices.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session to receive legal advice from the Loop’s attorney on negotiating positions regarding the use of the funds remaining from the $4 million American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) grant the Loop received from the Biden administration via the El Paso Board of County Commissioners. No votes were taken after the executive session.

**********

The next regular meeting is scheduled for Oct. 17 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 Cherokee Metropolitan District offices at 6250 Palmer Park Blvd., Colorado Springs. 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

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Sept. 19- -Board continues term limit debate

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its September meeting, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board continued its discussion of waiving its current policy which allows directors to serve a maximum of two four-year terms. The board heard financial and operational reports.

Board President Wayne Vanderschuere was excused from the meeting. Board Vice President Bill George facilitated the meeting.

Lawyer explains constraints on term limits

General Manager Jeff Hodge told the board that he had received a memo from Linda Glesne of CEGR Law, the district’s legal team, addressing the district’s discussion about extending the terms of incumbent directors or allowing them to serve more than two consecutive four-year terms. The issue was discussed at the board’s August meeting. Glesne wrote that the board does not have the authority to extend terms or waive term limits, but it can call an election to ask the voters to do so. Voter approval must be obtained before the Feb. 28, 2025 deadline for submitting candidate nomination forms for the May 2025 election. She said incumbent board members would not need to recuse themselves on a vote calling for an election.

Hodge said the current policy on term limits made it difficult to maintain continuity regarding long-term projects such as the Loop water re-use effort. George used himself as an example, pointing out that after his first two terms he was “beginning to get smart.” He was then required to leave the board for four years before running for another term. Director Ed Miller said, as a general principle, he was in favor of term limits.

The board took no action following the discussion, but there was a consensus to consider putting the issue before the voters at a future time.

Financial report

In his summary of district finances, Hodge said he believed DWSD was on track to collect the $650,000 in water revenue for which the district had budgeted. Revenue from property taxes was also on track. Hodge estimated the impact of the changes to property taxes enacted in the special session of the Legislature to be a reduction of about $23 per year for each $500,000 of home value. “This isn’t going to shut us down,” he said.

In terms of expenditures, Hodge said there was nothing unusual except the cost of a water main break adjacent to Baptist Creek Road. He said the district had saved money by making sparing use of its water from Willow Creek Ranch that it pays Colorado Springs Utilities to convey, treat, and deliver. That water is expensive, Hodge said.

Operational reports

In his manager’s report, Hodge noted the impact of the water line break that Water Operator Joe Lopez discovered on the Friday morning preceding the Labor Day weekend. The water line was PVC pipe that was installed directly on top of solid rock. Lack of proper space under the pipe caused it to push against the rock each time a pump started, causing a 20-foot section of the pipe to split. Hodge estimated repairing the line cost the district between $50,000 and $60,000.

Hodge said about two miles of the pipe were installed on rock and it was likely there would be further breaks in the future. He said that rather than repairing the entire two-mile portion, the district’s money would be better spent on wells 4A and 11D, which could supply water to the Holbein Treatment Plant without using the pipe in question.

Water Operator Ronny Wright gave the board an update on the work being done to rehabilitate the district’s two water storage tanks. Wright said the walls of the West Tank were in good shape but the structural elements at the top of the tank needed more repairs than expected. The West Tank is 45 years old, he said, and the I-beam that provides the center of support “is shot.” Hodge said a cost estimate was needed before repairs could proceed.

Wright had better news about the East Tank, saying its rehabilitation was complete and it was back in service, with a small leak that was being repaired by divers.

Hodge told the board that Well 1A, which has been an important water source for the last 3½ years, is offline and LRE Water has been engaged to diagnose and repair it. Well 16A, the district’s newest well, is now fully online and is filling the gap resulting from Well 1A’s problems, he said.

Hodge commended Water Operator Ross Robinson for the presentation he gave on DWSD’s radium mitigation efforts, along with Mathieu Medina of Corona Environmental Consulting, at a recent wastewater conference. Hodge said it can be hard to be the first to address a problem, but “you get to write your own rules.”

Above: On Aug. 30, the Friday before Labor Day, Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) Water Operator Joe Lopez noticed water running down Baptist Road. At the same time, equipment was measuring a drop in water in one of Donala’s water tanks. Lopez diagnosed the problem as a water main break on Baptist Road near Fox Run Regional Park. The PVC pipe, installed many years before directly on bedrock, was stressed each time a pump turned until a 20-foot split occurred. General Manager Jeff Hodge estimated the repair cost to be between $50,000 and $60,000. He said the district would focus on repairing other wells that feed its water treatment plant directly and removing dependence on the old pipeline. Photo courtesy of Donala Water and Sanitation District.
Above: At its Sept. 19 board meeting, Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) heard from Water Operator Ronny Wright that one of the two tanks the district is rehabilitating needs more work than anticipated. Wright said the West Tank, which is 45 years old, has extensive issues with the I-beams supporting the top of the tank, and the district was obtaining a cost estimate before proceeding with the repair. The East Tank, he noted, is back in service. Photo courtesy of Donala Water and Sanitation District.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 17 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

Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, Aug. 12 – Board considers supplemental water for Waterside subdivision

By James Howald

In August, the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District (WWSD) board met to review a request for supplemental water service from the developers of the Waterside subdivision. The board rescheduled its September meeting and heard operational reports. The meeting ended with an executive session, after which a vote was taken.

Developer requests supplemental water

District Manager Jessie Shaffer told the board that Lake Woodmoor Holdings LLC, the developers of the Waterside subdivision, had requested a supplemental water service agreement from the district.

According to materials provided in the meeting packet, the Waterside subdivision is a proposed 7.5-acre development at the intersection of Woodmoor Drive and Deer Creek Road, across from Lewis-Palmer Middle School. The developer plans to build four single-family homes and 40 multi-family homes on the property.

The Supplemental Water Service Agreement included in the packet explains that the developer is requesting a total of 12.2 acre-feet of water per year for the planned development. The default water service provided by WWSD is 0.5 acre-feet of water per acre of land, in this case, 3.76 acre-feet. The supplemental water service requested amounts to 8.42 acre-feet per year. 7.5 acre-feet per year will be provided at the Tier 2 price of $29,000 per acre-foot and 0.891 acre-feet will be provided at the Tier 3 price of $43,500 per acre-foot. The total cost of the supplemental water requested is $257,157 annually.

Shaffer said he wanted to discuss the request with the board in executive session and asked to have the request tabled until that discussion had taken place.

September meeting rescheduled

The board rescheduled its September meeting from Sept. 9 to Sept. 16 to allow board members to attend the Special District Association of Colorado conference.

Operational reports

  • Board President Brian Bush, on behalf of board Treasurer Roy Martinez, said water sales to date were less than the budgeted amount. Tap fees were higher than expected and interest income remains high due to high interest rates.
  • Cultivation of native grasses at the Woodmoor Ranch, required by the conversion of the ranch’s water rights from agricultural to municipal uses, is continuing. The revegetation effort is expected to be complete by 2025, according to Shaffer.
  • Operations Supervisor Dan LaFontaine told the board the effluent meter at the South Water Treatment Plant was inaccurate and he was working to find a company to test it.
  • Shaffer said that JVA Inc. was analyzing data from a sewer capacity study so that any capacity issues can be addressed.
  • Shaffer told the board that Cydney Saelens had accepted an offer to serve as the district engineer, replacing Ariel Hacker, who had accepted a job with a state agency.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session to discuss negotiating positions regarding the district’s participation in the Loop water reuse project and discussions with Classic Homes. Following the executive session, the board voted to appoint Bush as the director responsible for representing the district in negotiations between member agencies of the Loop.

**********

The next meeting has been moved to Sept. 16 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; the September meeting is delayed by a week. 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