Water & Sanitation District Articles

• 2023 budget amendment
• 2023 audit presentation
• District opposes statewide ballot initiatives
• 2024 employee handbook
• Highway Users Tax Fund agreement
• Higby Road update
• Buena Vista land annexation update
• Northern Delivery System update
• Water utilities update
• Assistant manager’s report
• Snow truck requested
• Executive session

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.

Other Triview Metropolitan District articles

• Triview Metropolitan District, May 22 – Bond passes; new board directors welcomed (6/7/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, April 17 – Economic development incentive approved for retail development (5/3/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, March 3 and 20 – Bond ballot language, Conexus improvements approved (4/5/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Feb. 11 – Northern Monument Creek Interceptor pipeline project IGA approved (3/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Jan. 23 – 2025 water and wastewater rates and fees increase approved (2/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Dec. 16 – Study reveals water and wastewater rate increase; administrative/utility offices pursued (1/4/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Nov. 21 – 2025 annual budget approved; mill levies set (12/5/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Oct. 24 – Bond pursued for road widening project (11/2/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Sept. 19 – Northern Delivery System fully operational; resident raises traffic concerns (10/5/2024)
• NDS ribbon cutting, Aug. 14 (9/7/2024)

• Northern Delivery System update
• Buena Vista land annexation
• Higby Road update
• Water Utilities update
• Legislative update
• Financial report
• Policy and procedures manual updates
• Executive session

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.

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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

• Triview Metropolitan District, May 22 – Bond passes; new board directors welcomed (6/7/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, April 17 – Economic development incentive approved for retail development (5/3/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, March 3 and 20 – Bond ballot language, Conexus improvements approved (4/5/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Feb. 11 – Northern Monument Creek Interceptor pipeline project IGA approved (3/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Jan. 23 – 2025 water and wastewater rates and fees increase approved (2/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Dec. 16 – Study reveals water and wastewater rate increase; administrative/utility offices pursued (1/4/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Nov. 21 – 2025 annual budget approved; mill levies set (12/5/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Oct. 24 – Bond pursued for road widening project (11/2/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Sept. 19 – Northern Delivery System fully operational; resident raises traffic concerns (10/5/2024)
• NDS ribbon cutting, Aug. 14 (9/7/2024)

By Natalie Barszcz

• Wastewater processing discrepancy
• Legislative update
• Operational updates
• Financial report
• Higby Road widening project update
• Speeding concerns
• Executive session

At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) meeting on June 20, the board received updates on the water sold and wastewater discrepancy at the Upper Monument Creek Regional Waste Water Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF) and received legislative updates that caused concern over future revenue, density, and artificial turf replacement. The board received multiple updates and discussed funding for the Higby Road widening project. The board held an executive session to discuss water and land acquisitions and development incentives.

Wastewater processing discrepancy

Assistant Manager Steve Sheffield said that he had met with District Manager Jeff Hodge and Waste Plant Operator Aaron Tolman of Donala Water and Wastewater District, and Executive Director/Manager Bill Burks of Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility (TLWWTF) about the excessive amount of wastewater leaving the UMCRWWTF from the TMD side of the plant. The plan is to meet at the plant to try to discover the cause. Hopefully Burks can help brainstorm the issue and discuss how he operates the TLWWTF, said Sheffield.

District Manager James McGrady said about 2 million gallons of treated effluent is being picked up per month within the plant. The outgoing flume could be inaccurately reading the wastewater effluent output, but the final amount of treated effluent should be less, not more than the untreated effluent entering the plant, he said.

Sheffield said the staff is taking a holistic approach as a team, exploring all avenues to understand the discrepancies in water pumped, treated, sold, and processed through the UMCRWWTF.

Legislative update

District counsel George Rowley said SB-233 addresses property tax limits and imposes a limitation on special districts to not collect more than 5.5% in property tax revenue than the previous year. That is not much revenue if inflation is 10% and the district should keep the limitation in mind when developing the budget, he said. The bill exempts new growth, but another increase in assessed valuation similar to the past few years would apply the limitation. The bill applies to the property taxes and not the debt service.

Treasurer/Secretary James Barnhart said the bill is an incentive for the district to assess the full mill levy.

Rowley said the district could hold an election to vote out of the restriction, but it would be a hard sell and the restriction begins for tax year 2025, he said.

President Mark Melville asked about the legislation preventing commercial, industrial, institutional, and government entities from installing artificial turf or invasive plant species.

Rowley said the idea is to create areas that don’t have growing space and prevent heat sinks and chemical exposure concerns. The legislation will apply to the future replacement of the Sanctuary Pointe Park artificial turf. See snapshot on page < 20 >.

He also said HB-1152 prevents municipalities and counties from prohibiting the construction of accessory dwelling units on properties, such as he/she sheds and mother-in-law suites. Renting out the additional units would create additional density on properties.

Vice Chair Anthony Sexton said the bill could also create double usage on one tap.

McGrady said the district is set up mostly for one dwelling and one tap on each lot. A change to the tap structure will be needed if a multiple service line is required on any one lot, he said.

Melville said a solution would be to drive up the water sold tiers and make it cheaper to buy a tap.

Operational updates

McGrady said the following:

• The Northern Delivery System (NDS) is about 96% complete and the electrics are installed at the pump house. The facility that will operate the NDS is secured by a fence. The district expects to turn the pumps on and begin testing on July 15.
• The district is using its decreed Fountain Mutual Irrigation Co. (FMIC) water shares and about 400-acre feet purchased from Pueblo to provide the necessary 800-acre feet needed to run the NDS through May 2025.
• An additional cost of about $993,300 for the unexpected 120.4 acre-feet will be wired on June 21 to the two additional land owners who also decided to sell water rights to the district through the Arkansas Valley Irrigation Co. (AVIC).
• The district is waiting for its AVIC shares to be approved in the water courts. The additional water shares in conjunction with spring run-off will be needed to run the NDS from mid-2025.
• The district is depositing water back into Stonewall Springs Reservoir in a paper exchange with Pueblo.
• The Buena Vista land annexation plan, plat, and request for a zone change was submitted. The masterplan for the project is approved by the town of Buena Vista and the district plans to construct recharge ponds on the 296 acres purchased by TMD in late 2020.
• The district is adding a pick-up lane on Leather Chaps Drive at Bear Creek Elementary School. The construction is expected to be completed mid-July. The lane was installed at D38’s request to elevate safety for students during drop-off and pick-up times.
• The Promontory Pointe overlay project was completed June 6.

Sexton said Martin Marietta had done a “nice job” on the mill and overlay project; it was well organized, but he had received multiple complaints from residents about the black footprints and tread marks on sidewalks and some driveways.

McGrady said from personal experience the black marks will come off, but it will take a couple of months.

Financial report

Sexton said the graph showing sales tax revenue from Monument shows the district’s portion is $20,000 less than collected last year.

McGrady said he discussed the tracking of sales tax revenue with Monument, and although the town purchased a software package to track sales tax, it had no staff to run the program. The town did hire a contractor to begin tracking sales tax. Upon investigation, he immediately noticed that no sales tax had been collected for the Tractor Supply Store for several months. Those are the types of errors that the town needs to get after, McGrady said.

Sexton said the sales taxes should be filed with the state monthly, and Monument will need to identify the businesses and contact the state.

McGrady said the district had almost $5.2 million in the Wastewater Enterprise Fund, and $3.8 million in the General Fund. About $1.8 million will be needed from the enterprise fund to pay for the remaining NDS balance.

Melville said the district needs to let the general fund grow to fund road repairs that will cost about $4 to $5 million every 10 to 12 years to avoid using a bond.

The district estimates that about 55 taps will be sold by the end of June. It budgeted 75 taps for 2024 and collects about $45,000 per residential tap. The taps are mainly from the homes built south of Higby Road.

McGrady said the district closed on the Colorado Water Conservation Board loan on June 15. The loan was for $5.2 million at 2.05% to pay for the Stonewall Springs Reservoir project. It is the crown jewel of the district, he said. See www.ocn.me/v23n11.htm#tmd.

The board unanimously approved the May financial report.

Higby Road widening project update

Director Jason Gross requested an update on when the Higby Road widening project would begin and asked about the funding now that the Zeal for Living apartments are approved.

McGrady said the project will cost about $10 million to $12 million. Funding will be a combination of a number of things, including road and bridge fees for both residential apartments and commercial property that will generate about $2 million. The developers will contribute, and the remaining $8 million will generated by Sub-district A issuing bonds (debt service) for filings 1-6 in the south Higby Road development. Homes are going in and bonds can be issued, but the payments will be low initially and increase as the development grows and the commercial area is built. Kiewit provided the estimate for the widening project, and the district will pay $750,000 for a water pipeline this summer. The developers are installing storm drainage. The preliminary utility work is expected to be installed this year. The financing will need to be in place before the road project begins, but the growth is there and plats are pre-approved, he said.

Speeding concerns

Director Amanda Carlton said a resident of Sanctuary Pointe requested the district install flashing speed signs along Sanctuary Rim Drive in both directions before and after Sanctuary Rim Park, to help slow traffic and ensure safety, just like the signs installed along Gleneagle Drive.

McGrady said the signs cost about $7,500 each and the district will look into adding signs.

Executive session

The board moved into an executive session at 7:43 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) to determine 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 9:18 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 July 18 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 articles

• Triview Metropolitan District, May 22 – Bond passes; new board directors welcomed (6/7/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, April 17 – Economic development incentive approved for retail development (5/3/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, March 3 and 20 – Bond ballot language, Conexus improvements approved (4/5/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Feb. 11 – Northern Monument Creek Interceptor pipeline project IGA approved (3/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Jan. 23 – 2025 water and wastewater rates and fees increase approved (2/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Dec. 16 – Study reveals water and wastewater rate increase; administrative/utility offices pursued (1/4/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Nov. 21 – 2025 annual budget approved; mill levies set (12/5/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Oct. 24 – Bond pursued for road widening project (11/2/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Sept. 19 – Northern Delivery System fully operational; resident raises traffic concerns (10/5/2024)
• NDS ribbon cutting, Aug. 14 (9/7/2024)

• Rate and fees increase discussion
• Website accessibility update
• Water sold and wastewater discrepancy
• NMCI update
• Northern Delivery System update
• Operational updates
• Public works and parks and open space update
• Executive session

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) meeting on May 23, the board held a public hearing on the proposed water and wastewater rate fees increases and discussed at length the district’s need to implement the increases before approving the rates effective June 1. The board heard about a discrepancy in the American Conservation & Billing Solutions (AmCoBi) process and received multiple updates on water delivery and wastewater solutions. The board held an executive session to discuss water and land acquisitions, and development incentives.

Vice Chair Anthony Sexton was excused.

Rate and fees increase discussion

President Mark Melville opened the public hearing on Resolution 2024-04, a resolution of the TMD Board of Directors regarding the establishment of rates and fees for the provision of water and wastewater services along with road and bridge fees for single family, multi-family, and commercial construction within the district, effective June 1.

District Manager James McGrady said the greatest expense for the district this year will be the operation of the Northern Delivery System (NDS) at $8.32 per 1,000 gallons for Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) to convey, treat, and deliver the district’s water to customers. If the district does not make any rate or fee changes, in mid-July when water will hopefully be delivered via the NDS, the district will find itself upside-down when the fixed costs are due, he said. Raising rates is necessary to at least cover the additional cost of delivery; the district cannot charge less than the cost for delivery of water, he said.

McGrady said that almost everyone in the district uses less water during the winter months and typically most residential customers remain in the Tier 1 category during that time and transition to Tier 2 during the summer months. He estimated about a $20 increase for the average residential bill, or about a $16.50 increase on about 4,000 gallons. After the NDS begins delivering the district’s water, a cost to service study will reveal if a rate re-evaluation is needed. Inflation will be a major factor going forward for the district, he said.

Director Jason Gross said the district successfully secured renewable water, and realtors should be advertising that benefit for homebuyers in TMD.

Treasurer/Secretary James Barnhart said the rate increases are part of the cost of transitioning to a renewable water system.

Melville said that regionally, TMD is the first district to transition to a renewable water system, and at some point other districts will need to catch up. Without the NDS, the district would need to drill new wells at a cost of about $2.5 million to meet demand. The NDS will lower the cost of well maintenance.

Water Attorney Chris Cummins said that if every district moved to renewable water sources, the wells could be saved for the future.

Melville closed the public hearing at the end of the board discussion after hearing no comments from the public for or against the proposal.

The board approved Resolution 2024-04, in a 4-0 vote.

Residential user rates and fee increases are as follows:

• The base water rate (Renewable Water Fee) per month will increase from $31.50 to $40.
• Metering and billing charges will remain $5 per month.
• Tier 1 0 to 8,000 gallons will increase to $9 (up from $6.82 per 1,000 gallons)
• Tier 2 8,001 to 20,000 will increase to $13.50 (up from $10.49 per 1,000 gallons)
• Tier 3 20,001 to 30,000 will increase to $20 (up from $18.59 per 1,000 gallons)
• Tier 4 30,001 to 40,000 will increase to $30 (up from $24.28 per 1,000 gallons)
• Tier 5 Over 40,000 will increase to $40 (up from $35.97 per 1,000 gallons)
• The sewer base rate will increase to $57.68 (was $52.44)
• The average November-February volume use uniform rate will increase to $5.69 (was $5.17)

The full rate and fee scales for all categories and users can be found at www.triviewmetro.com.

Website accessibility update

District lawyer George Rowley said the state Legislature had extended website accessibility compliance until July 1, 2025. See www.ocn.me.v24n5.htm#tmd.

McGrady said the site had been checked and was already about 96% in compliance with the accessibility requirements. He recommended the district allow GroundFloor Media Inc. to continue managing the district’s site and correcting the remaining issues.

In a 4-0 vote, the board approved Resolution 2024-05, adopting a digital accessibility policy and designating a compliance officer.

Water sold and wastewater discrepancy

Assistant Manager Steve Sheffield said the new District Administrator Sara Lamb had done an awesome job closing the numbers on water pumped and sold. The process had led staff to believe that more water was being treated at the Upper Monument Creek Regional Waste Water Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF) than had been sold to its customers, he said.

McGrady said the district cannot afford to have discrepancies in the water pumped and processed through the UMCRWWTF if the Northern Monument Creek Interceptor (NMCI) project moves ahead. The AmCobi reports differ, and the district staff now know how much water is going through the flow meters, and the discrepancy is about 2%. A meeting to hash out the discrepancy with AmCobi is scheduled. The fluctuating amounts had been perplexing the board for several years and throughout his tenure as district manager. Thankfully, Lamb’s experience finally found the issue with the billing and procedures are now in place, McGrady said. The investigation revealed that some commercial customers were being undercharged, he said.

NMCI update

McGrady said the cost for the development of the NMCI is expected to be revealed by early August or September, and CSU will decide whether to pursue the pipeline. The design engineer has recommended a timely decision be made to ensure the implementation team is available to see the project through. If the project proceeds, the pipeline could be built by early 2027.

Cummins said a change of water rights decree will be needed if the district stops releasing treated wastewater into Monument Creek and uses the NMCI to send wastewater 10 miles down-stream through the pipeline to the JD Philips Water Resource Recovery Facility, Colorado Springs.

Northern Delivery System update

McGrady said the construction of the NDS pumphouse is going well, and completion is expected about July 15. The project is two weeks behind schedule due to the electrical crew needing to be increased from three persons to a six-person crew. The Town of Monument’s (TOM) potential tie-in to the TMD water delivery system agreement had progressed to the town’s attorney, he said.

Operational updates

Sheffield said:

• The conceptual building drawings for the district office space were complete.
• The Sanctuary Pointe Park reservation site is behind schedule due to liability issues.
• The design phase for the Higby Road widening project was complete and the design plans have been submitted to the TOM. The design includes a 100-foot right of way instead of 120 feet, and those cost savings will be used for retaining walls.
• The Creekside Drive turn lane requested by School District 38 was budgeted for $150,000 but is a little over budget and bid for $185,000.

Public works and parks and open space update

Superintendent Matt Rayno said the May 6 windstorm destroyed seven street signs and uprooted about 27 trees throughout the district. Cleanup is completed and crews will take care of the damage in due time. Some projects had to be pushed back due the manpower needed to address the uprooted large pines in Sanctuary Pointe.

Note: This reporter thanked the crews for replanting a tall spruce on the south Agate Creek Drive trail system on May 23. See accompanying photo.

Rayno also said:

• Paving work began in Promontory Pointe, and crews will begin the mill work and overlay of Sanctuary Pointe in mid-June.
• A production specialist was hired to check the power and lighting capabilities of the band structure at the Sanctuary Pointe Athletic Field. The structure was a little under-powered and an additional breaker was installed to give bands more power. A ribbon-cutting event with a live band and six food trucks was scheduled for May 31.
• The district is fully staffed for the summer.
• Staff attended a defensive driver training class to ensure safety in inclement weather.
• The dated landscape beds along Leather Chaps Drive are scheduled for updating in June.

Executive session

The board moved into an executive session at 7:47 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 re-entered the regular session at 8:58 p.m., the board publicly supported Director Jason Gross attending the next TOM meeting to voice support for the Higby Road improvement project, and to speak on the TMD board’s behalf.

The meeting adjourned at 9 p.m.

**********

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 June 20 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 water and sanitation district articles

• Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, April 28, May 6 and 12 – Board awards well drilling contract, elects officers (6/7/2025)
• Donala Water and Sanitation District, May 5 – Directors sworn in; district offices temporarily closed (6/7/2025)
• El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, May 15 – Board officers elected (6/7/2025)
• Monument Sanitation District, May 21 – Manhole overflow threatens Monument Lake (6/7/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, May 22 – Bond passes; new board directors welcomed (6/7/2025)
• Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, April 14 – Board moves accounts to Integrity Bank and Trust (5/3/2025)
• Monument Sanitation District, April 16 – District plans for Buc-ee’s impact (5/3/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, April 17 – Economic development incentive approved for retail development (5/3/2025)
• El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, April 17 – Pumps and pipeline proposal out for bids (5/3/2025)
• Donala Water and Sanitation District, April 17 – Workshop covers finances, water supply (5/3/2025)

• Water and wastewater fees/rates
• Water rights lease
• Excess district wastewater
• Under drain maintenance
• Road traffic safety concerns
• Spring road repairs planned
• Landscaping workforce divides
• Website accessibility
• Executive session

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.

Other Triview Metropolitan District articles

• Triview Metropolitan District, May 22 – Bond passes; new board directors welcomed (6/7/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, April 17 – Economic development incentive approved for retail development (5/3/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, March 3 and 20 – Bond ballot language, Conexus improvements approved (4/5/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Feb. 11 – Northern Monument Creek Interceptor pipeline project IGA approved (3/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Jan. 23 – 2025 water and wastewater rates and fees increase approved (2/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Dec. 16 – Study reveals water and wastewater rate increase; administrative/utility offices pursued (1/4/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Nov. 21 – 2025 annual budget approved; mill levies set (12/5/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Oct. 24 – Bond pursued for road widening project (11/2/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Sept. 19 – Northern Delivery System fully operational; resident raises traffic concerns (10/5/2024)
• NDS ribbon cutting, Aug. 14 (9/7/2024)

• Extra acre-feet of water decreed
• Escrow agreement approved
• Northern Delivery System update
• Water movement and exchanges
• Assistant manager’s update
• Snow removal around the clock
• Public Works and Parks and Open Space update
• Legal updates
• Executive session

By Natalie Barszcz

The Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) board held its regular meeting a day earlier than originally scheduled. The board heard about the district receiving an unexpected amount of additional acre-feet of water decreed from the Arkansas Valley Irrigation Co. (AVIC), approved an escrow agreement with a landowner, received multiple updates on the district’s projects, and heard about the snow removal efforts during the mid-March winter storm that delivered about 24 inches in some areas of the district. An executive session was held to discuss various matters.

Secretary/Treasurer James Barnhart was excused.

Extra acre-feet of water decreed

District Manager James McGrady said AVIC had decreed an average annual yield of about 569.4 acre-feet of water. The district had been hoping for 526 acre-feet and had initially purchased about 435 acre-feet of water. The additional water cost to the district is about $688,775, for a total cost of about $5.9 million for the water rights. The district budgeted for the overage, but will need to make some adjustments, he said.

Escrow agreement approved

Water attorney Chris Cummins of Monson, Cummins, Shohet and Farr LLC law firm said in 2020 when the district purchased the Stonewall Springs Reservoir complex and the Excelsior Ditch and that batch of assets that the district contracted to receive an outlet easement from the east reservoir to be built in the future when the last reservoir is built, but the seller could not deliver. The district escrowed $300,000 in May 2020 at closing to obtain the easement from the landowner to put water in the river. After a series of extensions, $150,000 of the escrow money was released to Stonewall Springs Water LLC because the easement was unlikely to cost $300,000. McGrady finally reached an agreement with the landowner to purchase the easement for $45,000. The final post-closing agreement will release $105,000 to Stonewall Springs Water LLC, and the remaining $45,000 will be released to the district to pay the landowner for the easement, Cummins said.

The board approved the final closing escrow agreement and final release between the Stonewall Springs Quarry LLC and TMD, 4-0.

Northern Delivery System update

McGrady said the NDS total project cost including Segment D is about $22.274 million and Kiewit has earned about $19.687 million, about 88% of the overall project, and the only remaining item is completion of the pump station. The district owes just over $2 million to finish the pump station. The district is expecting substantial completion around July 5. The pump house will contain two pumps with room for a third. Testing of the system is expected in June and then a ribbon cutting around July 10 at the Highway 83 Colorado Springs Utilities water tank.

Vice President Anthony Sexton asked if the project was over budget by about $1 million.

McGrady said not quite because the district had the materials to install the Segment D (Conexus development) pipeline, and Kiewit billed about $200,000 worth of labor for that installation, and the rest was about $500,000 in over runs on the project.

Water movement and exchanges

McGrady said the district began moving water out of the South Reservoir on March 18 and expects to move about 30 cubic feet per second, making a release downstream from the South Reservoir and exchanging water up into Pueblo Reservoir. The goal is to exchange about 1,000 acre-feet out of the South Reservoir to create a “bucket” to capture spring snow melt. The snowpack in the Arkansas River Valley is at about 104% (low estimate) and additional snows and rain over the next six weeks will potentially generate about 120 acre-feet a day.

The district is juggling storage to help capture spring melt and will start releasing water from the Big Johnson Reservoir beginning the first week of April. The exchange will pay the Arkansas Groundwater and Reservoir Association (AGRA) back in water, because all the water in the South Reservoir technically belongs to AGRA, he said.

Note: AGRA is a water utility company located in Fowler.

Sexton said the water exchanges are fictional and never physical.

Cummins said the water is diverted at the upstream source and water is released at the downstream source, and we pretend the water released at the downstream source is what was stored at the upstream source. There are limited windows to complete an exchange, and it must occur when there is enough water in the middle, so that other parties with water rights are not injured when water is taken from the upstream source. It is a complex concept and does not involve actual water molecules, he said.

Assistant Manager Steve Sheffield said that at the direction of AGRA, the district released 100 acre-feet of water into the John Martin Reservoir on March 1-7.

Assistant manager’s update

Sheffield said the following:

• He took a field trip to the Fountain Mutual Irrigation Co. headgate and diversion structures in Colorado Springs to look for potential improvements.

• He attended the Northern Monument Creek Interceptor “kickoff” meeting hosted by Colorado Springs Utilities.

• Made multiple site visits to the NDS pump house (under construction on the east side of Highway 83 at Old Northgate Road).

• Met with Tom Martinez of the Town of Monument (TOM) Planning Department to discuss and obtain approval for a right-turn lane on Leather Chaps Drive for the Bear Creek Elementary school pickup/drop-off improvements. Everyone agrees on the striping of the road, and the project is moving forward.

• Met with TOM Manager Mike Foreman and Public Works Department Director Tom Tharnish to discuss a potential interconnect between TMD and the town.

• Initiated the plan for a new security system at A yard with the district staff.

• Approved construction of a “distribution” trailer to be fully stocked for emergencies and maintenance purposes.

• Since January, the Vac truck and TV van cleaned and videoed 660 feet of sewer line. Three under-drain caps were found to be missing and replaced. The district maintains a parts trailer to replace missing and defective equipment.

Snow removal around the clock

This reporter thanked Superintendent Matt Rayno and the snowplow crews for the phenomenal job of keeping the streets plowed throughout the March 13-15 snowstorm.

Rayno said the snow removal crews worked around the clock during the snowstorm, keeping the streets passable in the district. Crews stayed with it to keep ahead of the storm, with prior budgeting for housing at The Fairfield Inn during major snow events staff operated on six-hour shifts throughout the storm. One truck completed over 300 miles during the snow event, and when a starter went out on a large truck, it was back in service within the day, he said.

Public Works and Parks and Open Space update

Rayno said the following:

• The final preparations are being made for the patching, mill, and overlay of Gleneagle Drive in the Promontory Pointe subdivision.

• An audit of the concrete within the district is underway to assess the condition of sidewalk and curb edging throughout the district. Bids will go out in April for the repairs.

• Street sweeping was completed on Jackson Creek Parkway and Leather Chaps, Lyons Tails, Kitchener, Gleneagle and Sanctuary Rim Drives. The inner district roads are scheduled for sweeping in April.

• The construction of the Burke Hollow Park is scheduled to begin on April 8. The district staff will save about $6,000 by removing the equipment before the contractors install a new playground.

• Enhancements are being made to the trail on Saint Lawrence Way and the Gleneagle Drive swing park.

• Spring preparations for the landscaped areas had begun.

Legal updates

District counsel George Rowley of White Bear Ankele Tanaka and Waldron law firm said the loan with the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) had been finalized.

McGrady said the loan extension discussed in October was approved by CWCB to cover additional overages at the South Reservoir. The loan for $450,000 retains the original 2.05% interest rate and is accounted for in the 2024 budget as a reimbursement to the district, and payments will not begin until 2025. See www.ocn.me/v23n11.htm#tmd. The district is exploring the possibility of raising money to construct a slurry wall at the Central Reservoir, and an application for the loan with CWBC is expected to be presented to the board for approval in May.

Rowley said that since the last Legislature session, special district websites are required to be in compliance with full accessibility standards by July 2024. Sites must be available to individuals with disabilities, such as easily readable fonts, text size, and colors. Remediating old documents may be time consuming and removing them may be the simpler option, or employing a third party to correct any issues could ease the burden. Noncompliance could lead to fines, Rowley said.

McGrady said he meets with GroundFloor media, the district’s public relations firm, every other week and it assures the district it is familiar with the new requirements. GroundFloor media receives $5,000 on a retainer per month for producing the district newsletter, public relations and website maintenance. GroundFloor has been pro-active in ensuring compliance and saw the regulations in advance, but he and Rowley would approach the subject again to ensure the district is compliant, McGrady said.

Executive session

The board moved into an executive session at 7:12 p.m. pursuant to Colorado Revised Statute 24-6-402(4) (a), (b), (e), to discuss acquisitions, negotiations, and receive legal advice on: water and land acquisitions, the Highway Users Tax Fund share return, strategic planning, economic development incentives, and change case updates.

Sheffield confirmed the board returned to the regular session at 9:29 p.m. No actions were taken, and the board promptly adjourned the meeting at 9:30 p.m.

**********

Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of every month at the district office located at 16055 Old Forest Point, Suite 302. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for April 25 at 5:30 p.m. For meeting agendas, minutes, and update, visit https://triviewmetro.com.

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

Other Triview Metropolitan District articles

• Triview Metropolitan District, May 22 – Bond passes; new board directors welcomed (6/7/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, April 17 – Economic development incentive approved for retail development (5/3/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, March 3 and 20 – Bond ballot language, Conexus improvements approved (4/5/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Feb. 11 – Northern Monument Creek Interceptor pipeline project IGA approved (3/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Jan. 23 – 2025 water and wastewater rates and fees increase approved (2/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Dec. 16 – Study reveals water and wastewater rate increase; administrative/utility offices pursued (1/4/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Nov. 21 – 2025 annual budget approved; mill levies set (12/5/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Oct. 24 – Bond pursued for road widening project (11/2/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Sept. 19 – Northern Delivery System fully operational; resident raises traffic concerns (10/5/2024)
• NDS ribbon cutting, Aug. 14 (9/7/2024)

• Renewable municipal water supply increases
• Northern Delivery System update
• Public relations—the path to renewable water
• Operations report
• Financial report
• Executive session

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) meeting on Feb. 22, the board heard about an increase in the municipal renewable water supply and the tie-in of Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) to the Northern Delivery System (NDS). The board also discussed informing the residents about the district’s path to becoming an 80% renewable water supply municipality and how sales tax and growth had helped achieve the district’s goal. The board held an executive session and approved the potential purchase of land.

Treasurer/Secretary James Barnhart and Director Amanda Carlton were excused.

Renewable municipal water supply increases

Water counsel Chris Cummins announced a successful water change case that decreed about 1,050 of the district’s water shares in the Fountain Mutual Irrigation Co. (FMIC). The decree changed the shares from agricultural water to municipal use water shares that equate to about 740 acre-feet in municipal water. The district leases 244 acre-feet of those shares to Fountain Valley Power for about $15,000 per month. The remaining acre-feet will increase the municipal water supply to the district by about a half a year’s worth of water from now on. In July that reusable renewable water will be available through the NDS, he said.

District Manager James McGrady said about 80% of the district’s annual water supply beginning Jan. 5, 2025, will come from a renewable source, and the remaining 20% will be sourced from the district’s Denver Basin groundwater wells. The renewable water supply will further increase as more water rights come into play, he said.

Northern Delivery System update

Assistant Manager Steve Sheffield said Kiewit had requested substantial completion and the two-year warranty period begins for the NDS pipeline on Jan. 31. The tie-in to CSU occurred on Feb. 5, but the district is anxious to get water moving through the pipeline to ensure the system is working 100% and can hold pressure. Kiewit recognizes that the pump station will not be complete until June and the pipeline will not be fully operational until mid-summer, he said.

Cummins said some pressure testing has occurred and the fire hydrants installed along the pipeline route held the correct pressure when tested with the static water in the pipeline.

McGrady said the pipeline should hold, but there is nothing like running the water through the pipeline to know for sure. The NDS pump station (located east of Highway 83 at Old Northgate Road) is moving along in its construction and is framed with roofing to begin on Feb. 26. The interior will be dry-walled by the end of the month and then the installation of the pumps will begin, he said.

Public relations—the path to renewable water

President Mark Melville requested future newsletters reflect a timeline story beginning in 2015 on the district’s path to its renewable water source.

Vice President Anthony Sexton requested the newsletter communicate all the reasons for the decisions the board makes. Many of the projects and the district’s achievements are made through sales tax and growth, and an explanation would be useful for the residents, he said.

Director Jason Gross said the district has a wonderful story of vision, good timing, smart decision-making and long-term thinking and it would be a tragedy to not capture and share with the residents as the district reaches the end of the tunnel on its path to renewable water sourcing for the community. The story sets a good example for other municipalities, he said.

Cummins said in the last seven years the board only had about three votes that were not unanimous, and it has been important to have a board that can listen, understand, and make sound decisions and allow the district staff and consultants to do the things they need to do based on those decisions.

McGrady said there has been no micromanagement from the board; it gave vision and direction, setting the tone for staff to follow then standing back with confidence as staff and counsel pursued the projects needed to sustain renewable water for the future.

Operations report

McGrady said the following:

• A meeting to discuss an emergency interconnect with the Town of Monument (TOM) was delayed due to scheduling conflicts and is now scheduled for March 4.
• The Bale and Arkansas Valley Irrigation Co. (AVIC) ditch change cases are both moving forward. The district is trying to avoid a trial on April 1 with the AVIC change case by getting the objectors out as quickly as possible.
• The re-vegetation plan for the AVIC in Buena Vista is in order, and that had been a problem for some objectors.
• The district is planning to build recharge ponds to accommodate the AVIC water in the future, after the change cases are decreed and the property is annexed into the town of Buena Vista.
• Northern Monument Creek Interceptor (NMCI) will kick off with a project meeting at the end of February.
• CSU held a meeting to discuss an indirect potable reuse plan. The district does not necessarily need the project to manage the district’s wastewater return flows unless it becomes more cost effective.

Sheffield said the following:

• D38, the TOM and the district have reached an agreement on the striping and layout on Creekside Drive. Two westbound lanes at Bear Creek Elementary School will be incorporated soon to assist with the drop-off/pick-up flow.
• TMD is exploring the possibility of widening Leather Chaps Drive and is working with Black Hills Energy to avoid the gas line that runs about 36 to 42 inches deep beside the road.
• Multiple meetings took place with the TOM planning staff and NES Inc. to discuss the water tank installation at Plant B on St. Lawrence Way in Promontory Pointe.
• An extensive meeting took place with Classic Homes to discuss a potential connection of sanitary sewer into the TMD collection system for Flying Horse North, Hodgen Road.
• District administrators are working with Ireland Stapleton Law to review and possibly revise the personnel manual.

Financial report

Sexton said he was curious about the check to Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority for $5,687.83.

McGrady said the annual Transit Loss Fee is variable and is required to pay for the re-calibration of the gauges on Fountain Creek down to the Arkansas River. Every water district that uses Fountain Creek for water transit pays the re-calibration fee annually.

Cummins said that the flows were excessive last year following the huge amount of rain received in May 2023.

The board accepted, 3-0, checks over $5,000 and the financial report for January as presented.

Executive session

The board moved into an executive session at 7:18 p.m. pursuant to Colorado Revised Statute 24-6-402(4) (a), (b), (e) to discuss acquisitions and receive legal advice for negotiations regarding water acquisitions, the Highway Users Tax Fund share return, strategic planning, and change cases.

Sheffield confirmed the board returned to the regular session at 9:20 p.m. In a 3-0 vote, the board authorized McGrady to sign a letter of intent to potentially purchase a 2-acre parcel of land near the northwest corner of I-25 and Baptist Road for the future home office and storage yard.

The meeting adjourned at 9:21 p.m.

**********

Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of every month at the district office located at 16055 Old Forest Point, Suite 302. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for March 21 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 articles

• Triview Metropolitan District, May 22 – Bond passes; new board directors welcomed (6/7/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, April 17 – Economic development incentive approved for retail development (5/3/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, March 3 and 20 – Bond ballot language, Conexus improvements approved (4/5/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Feb. 11 – Northern Monument Creek Interceptor pipeline project IGA approved (3/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Jan. 23 – 2025 water and wastewater rates and fees increase approved (2/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Dec. 16 – Study reveals water and wastewater rate increase; administrative/utility offices pursued (1/4/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Nov. 21 – 2025 annual budget approved; mill levies set (12/5/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Oct. 24 – Bond pursued for road widening project (11/2/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Sept. 19 – Northern Delivery System fully operational; resident raises traffic concerns (10/5/2024)
• NDS ribbon cutting, Aug. 14 (9/7/2024)

• Mill levy certification
• District manager’s report
• Water tank planning progressing
• Assistant manager’s report
• Financial update
• Parked cars hamper snow removal efforts
• Executive session

By Natalie Barszcz

The Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) board held a special meeting via Zoom on Jan. 8 to certify the district’s mill levy and approve the 2024 budget. At the regular board meeting on Jan. 25, the board received multiple updates on water infrastructure projects and heard about a pause in planning approvals, the lower-than-expected sales tax revenues in 2023, and how street parking was hampering the district’s snow removal efforts.

Mill levy certification

District Manager James McGrady said the district finally received the total property tax revenue assessment for 2024 at the end of December. The district was anticipating about $179 million, but the final amount after the changes made by the state Legislature in November was reduced to just over $172 million for 2024. After reassessing the 2024 budget, the district is still in a position to lower the mill levy by 3.5 mills from the 2023 mill levy of 24 mills. The operating mill levy has been raised to 4.5 mills, but remains under the 7 mills limit, and 16 mills will be set for the debt service. He also informed the board that the 2024 budget had been revised to add $500,000 back into the 2024 budget for the Promontory Pointe overlay project. It had accidentally been omitted in the final proposed budget in December, he said.

Vice President Anthony Sexton asked if the district envisions ever needing to go to 7 mills or above for operational use.

McGrady said he projects the budget five years ahead and does not anticipate the district needing to increase the general operations mill levy to more than 5 mills unless the district loses a major retailer or a substantial downturn in property values occurs. Those losses could cause the district to go to 7 mills, but if the property valuations continue to increase and the district maintains the current retailers, even adding more commercial growth, the mill levy should not ever go to 7 mills.

Sexton said the board had lowered the mill levy consecutively for the past four years.

Director Jason Gross asked what was driving the increase in general operating costs.

McGrady said the biggest drivers increasing the general operating costs are inflationary pressures, wages, materials, gasoline and the increases in road miles and open spaces the district is required to maintain. The Northern Delivery System (NDS) is a separate entity paid for by water and wastewater rates and fees and is not funded by the general operations and debt service mill levy. To “cross pollinate” the two would be a direct violation of TABOR, he said.

The board unanimously approved Resolution 2024-01, accepting the 2024 budget and certifying the mill levy at 20.5 mills for 2024.

Note: The mill levy is needed to cover about $3.5 million in general obligation bonds and interest, and the debt service bonds and interest for 2024. The district’s property tax assessment was about $125 million for 2023. The certificate of tax levies for 2024 can be found at www.triviewmetro.com.

The Jan. 8 meeting adjourned at 4:57 p.m.

District manager’s report

McGrady said the following:

• The district has hit a pause on the NDS until the pump station construction is complete. The pump station is going well after some conflict between the construction company and the Kiewit engineers. The district has spent about $18.7 million to date on the NDS, and the project is about 82.4% complete. The total budget for the completed project is expected to be about $22.2 million.
• The 16-inch pipeline that could transport water from the west side of I-25 (known as Segment “C”) has been installed to Old Denver Road. The pipeline will allow Conexus to begin construction. If the Town of Monument (TOM) requires an interconnect to the pipeline, the pipeline will be available for a fee.
• The Fountain Mutual Irrigation Co. (FMIC) change case is processing through the water court. The district has 557 shares with the FMIC, and two parties remain in opposition to the change case. (The shares will be necessary to operate the NDS).
• The box culvert installation project on the Excelsior Ditch is complete. The culverts were installed under the Nyberg Road underpass to allow the expansion of flows to the reservoirs from about 25 cubic feet per second to 170 cubic feet per second. The project cost about $340,000, with TMD contributing about 80% of the cost (about $270,000).

Water Attorney Chris Cummins said a couple of other choke points remain in different areas downstream that require box culverts, but they are less urgent and will be less costly to install due to the positioning under narrower, less-trafficked roads.

Water tank planning progressing

McGrady said the six-month moratorium the MTC approved effective Jan. 4 is unlikely to impact the six-month planning process for the 2-million-gallon water tank the district is planning to install at plant “B” (Promontory Pointe). The district scheduled a pre-application meeting with the two remaining town planners on Feb. 1. The $1 million matching water tank grant funding the district received through the American Rescue Plan needs to be spent by mid-2026. The planning process can take up to six months, and the district is expecting to install the tank by July 2026. See www.ocn.me/v24n1.htm#tmd and MTC article on page < 1 >.

Assistant manager’s report

Assistant Manager Steve Sheffield said the following:

• The district has engaged in multiple meetings with the TOM to discuss the plans and improvements for the Higby Road widening project. The project is dependent on build-out of residential homes, apartments and commercial growth in the northern part of the district.
• JHL Contractors is redoing the head gate and the diversion at the district’s Arkansas Valley Irrigation Co. ditch site in Buena Vista. The contractors conducted aerial LiDAR mapping over several weeks to provide a solution to the wetland constraints for the Matrix Design engineers.
• The intrusion alarm on the SCADA system at the South Reservoir pump station on Nyberg Road, Pueblo, had been activated.

Financial update

McGrady said sales tax revenues were less than expected in 2023 and that it was likely due to less new construction and residents “tightening their belts.” However, the district received 92% of the projected water sales in 2023, “not bad” considering the late wet spring in May and June. The warm fall temperatures generated good water usage in September to help pull the numbers up, he said.

In addition, he said the district budgeted for 50 taps in 2023 but had a flurry of activity in the fourth quarter. The income for the taps added about $4.1 million to about $2 million that was received in early 2023 for the Thompson Thrift Apartments on the west side of Jackson Creek Parkway. The district had estimated about $5.3 million in tap fees but netted about $7.9 million in 2023. The district has conservatively budgeted about 50 tap fees for 2024.

District Attorney George Rowley cautioned about the rising crime of backflow preventer theft occurring in the Denver Metro area. He suggested the backflow units be individually noted on the insurance policy to avoid costly replacement should any by stolen.

Sexton said a community his landscaping company services had a backflow preventer stolen the night before.

The board unanimously approved checks over $5,000 and accepted the December financial report.

Parked cars hamper snow removal efforts

Public Works and Parks and Open Space Superintendent Matt Rayno said some streets were difficult to plow due to the number of parked cars on streets. It was particularly prevalent in a couple of the older subdivisions of Jackson Creek and on Panoramic Drive in Sanctuary Pointe.

McGrady said the district website requests residents do not park on the street during snowstorms and the TOM ordinances apply within the district. When heavy snow events occur, the problem of clearing the snow is particularly bad. Visit www.townofmonument.org Snow Plow Information Code of Ordinances: MMC 10.08.010 and MMC 12.04.2020 and MMC 12.04.040.

Rayno said the district’s snow removal team applies liquid brine to the priority roads before each snowstorm. The district aims to provide better service with each storm by revisiting the snow removal areas to see the result. If something is not working and ice dams are building, the problem will be addressed to avoid future issues, he said. The snow removal priority map can be found at www.triviewmetro.com.

Executive session

The board moved into an executive session at about 6:50 p.m., pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes 24-6-402(4)(a), (b), (e), to received legal advice regarding acquisitions and negotiations associated with water acquisitions, strategic planning, and change cases.

Sheffield confirmed that no actions were taken after the board returned to the regular session. The meeting adjourned at 8:53 p.m.

**********

Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of every month at the district office located at 16055 Old Forest Point, Suite 302. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Feb. 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

• Triview Metropolitan District, May 22 – Bond passes; new board directors welcomed (6/7/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, April 17 – Economic development incentive approved for retail development (5/3/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, March 3 and 20 – Bond ballot language, Conexus improvements approved (4/5/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Feb. 11 – Northern Monument Creek Interceptor pipeline project IGA approved (3/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Jan. 23 – 2025 water and wastewater rates and fees increase approved (2/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Dec. 16 – Study reveals water and wastewater rate increase; administrative/utility offices pursued (1/4/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Nov. 21 – 2025 annual budget approved; mill levies set (12/5/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Oct. 24 – Bond pursued for road widening project (11/2/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Sept. 19 – Northern Delivery System fully operational; resident raises traffic concerns (10/5/2024)
• NDS ribbon cutting, Aug. 14 (9/7/2024)

• 2024 budget
• Baptist Road intersection

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) meeting on Dec. 13, the board held a public hearing for the 2024 budget, deferring its approval until after the district property tax assessments are received on Jan. 3, discussed future rate increases, and approved a participation agreement for Forest Lakes Metropolitan District (FLMD) to participate in the Northern Delivery System (NDS). The board also approved multiple resolutions and agreements for 2024.

President Mark Melville was excused.

Note: Due to snow affecting travel in the region, a quorum could not be reached until 5:48 p.m.

District Manager Jim McGrady confirmed that the district had posted the public hearings in The Gazette, to include the issuance of additional debt in the form of a Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) loan and the switch to Zoom-only attendance.

2024 budget

McGrady said the district would not receive the final property tax assessment from the El Paso County Assessor until about Jan. 3, and the district would need to certify the mill levy no later than Jan. 10. Under normal circumstances, the district usually certifies the mill levy by Dec. 15 and a special meeting to certify the 2024 mill levy would be needed on Jan. 8 or 9. Before the change in the state Legislature, the district was planning to lower the debt service mill levy to 16 mills for 2024, for a total of 20.5 mills, down from the 24 mills assessed in 2023. The change may need to be revised after the property tax assessed valuation is received from the assessor.

He suggested the board consider the following items:

• A 10% rate increase to the Tier 1 water rates to cover the cost of conveying water from Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU).
• A sewer utility rate increase in February or March of about 9% to 10% before the heavy water use season that usually begins in April/May.
• The district expects an increase of wastewater flow through the Upper Monument Creek Regional Waste Water Treatment Facility from 640,725 to about 957,838 gallons.
• A potential lease of 300 acre-feet of water with Pueblo if 2024 is a dry year, budgeted at $70,000.
• An increase in the Amcobi National meter reading service fee.
• The budget allocates $500,000 to purchase land for a future office building. The district office lease expires in 2025, and no buildings are available for lease or purchase within the district.
• $150,000 is allocated in the budget for Burke Hollow Park.
• Well transformer and pump replacement costs.
• Northern Monument Creek Interceptor for the 30% design cost for $350,000.
• About $564,000 for the annual availability of service fee for CSU to convey, treat, and deliver the district’s water through the NDS.
• An additional storage tank at Plant B to be built behind the existing tank. The purchase is made possible with a matching $1 million through the American Rescue Plan Grant. The design for the tank is budgeted at $250,000. The extra storage will assist firefighting needs and will allow the blending of surface and well water. It will be the last tank the district builds.
• Arkansas Valley Irrigation Co. water rights utilization (annexation into Buena Vista) for $2.5 million. About 528 acre-feet of water is available to run through the NDS.
• The NDS pump station is budgeted at $4.5 million. The district has spent about $16.7 million to date, and upon completion it is expected to total about $22 million (the total includes Segment D connecting to the west side of I-25 near Old Denver Road).

The budget allocation will decrease for:

• Engineering fees—as the district nears buildout and plan reviews are fewer.
• Development services and water attorney fees.
• Water testing now that all tests have been completed for radium, and it is under control.
• Electric utilities are expected to decrease when the NDS pump station is online and the well operations decrease. The cost to run the NDS pump station will be less than 100% of well operations.
• The Vac truck is paying for itself quickly by avoiding costly outsourcing for sewer line cleaning.
• The district expects about 75 tap fees to generate about $903,000 in 2024.

McGrady said every district has different costs, and typically the district’s rates are lower than most, but fixed costs are driving rate increases and the district needs to ensure debt can be paid. The district is considering an increase to the tap fees that have not increased in three years, but it is important that growth pays for itself with tap fees, he said.

Water Attorney Chris Cummins said the board is not approving the mill levy until Jan. 3 due to the failure of Proposition HH and the outcome of the state Legislature special session in late November. The board will adopt the 2024 budget by Jan. 10 based on the new El Paso County Assessor’s property tax assessment numbers, expected on Jan. 3. The rate increases will be approved separately in early 2024 after a public hearing.

Vice President Anthony Sexton said the budget review reveals the things the district would like to do, but nothing is set in stone, it is simply a guideline except for the mandatory expenses. Funds for projects can always be reallocated and projects rolled over to 2025—it is a work in progress. He likes to see the district always tightening belts, and if there is extra cash the district gets to do things like the NDS. The district has done rate increase studies, and the cost of the goods is increasing. The only way to keep the district operational is to increase rates when necessary. The district rates are low to mid-tier within the area and the 2024 budget looks good, he said.

Director Jason Gross said he would need to look at the proposed rate tables, but a 10% increase considering inflation does not sound unreasonable.

Treasurer/Secretary James Barnhart said the expenses are higher as the district transitions from well water to deliver renewable water to the district. Renewable water is just more expensive and there is just no way to “shake” that it is a big contributor, he said.

McGrady said the district never knows how much revenue will be generated from water sales, and the budget can be trimmed and tightened as needed, but the district is projecting about $5 million in cash at the end of 2023.

In a 3-0 vote, the board approved the following:

• An audit engagement letter between TMD and Haynie & Co. to perform the district’s 2023 financial audit for a fee not to exceed $27,500 (including expenses).
• The Northern Delivery System Joint Funding and Participation Agreement between TMD and Forest Lakes Metropolitan District (FLMD), with authorization for the district manager to sign. See FLMD article on page < 12 >.
• An intergovernmental agreement between TMD and Lewis-Palmer School District 38 regarding the dedication of a 20-foot perpetual, non-exclusive easement to provide for future Higby Road improvements between Jackson Creek Parkway and Bowstring Drive. In exchange the district would make improvements to Creekside Drive and Leather Chaps Drive near Bear Creek Elementary School.
• Amendment 3 between TMD and FLMD to provide utility operations services for a monthly fee of $18,150 in 2024. The terms and fee structure for the landscaping and snow removal services was extended to Dec. 31, 2024, with authorization for the district manager to sign.
• Resolution 2023-10, an amendment to a loan contract from the Colorado Water Conservation Board for the Stonewall Springs Reservoir Complex Loan Contract, up to a maximum principal amount of about $5.2 million at about a 3% interest rate.

Note: The board packet for the Dec. 13 meeting can be found under Board Meeting Agendas & Minutes at www.triviewmetro.com.

Baptist Road intersection

Gross asked if Baptist Road was within the district’s area of responsibility and if a change could be made to the intersection opposite 1st Bank to prevent motorists illegally cutting through the left-turn intersection to avoid travelling east to the Leather Chaps Drive intersection to turn around and reach the Kings Soopers shopping complex.

McGrady said the district has no jurisdiction over Baptist Road except for maintaining the north sidewalk and it does supply water and wastewater services to the commercial properties on the south side of Baptist Road and the corner of Struthers Road. El Paso County owns and maintains the road and the traffic lights on Baptist Road, he said.

Executive session

The board moved into an executive session at about 8:20 p.m., pursuant to Colorado Revised Statute 24-6-402(4) (a), (b), (e), to discuss acquisitions and receive legal advice for negotiations regarding water acquisitions, strategic planning, and change cases. No actions were taken after the executive session. The meeting adjourned at 9:24 p.m.

**********

Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday every month at the district office at 16055 Old Forest Point, Suite 302. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 18 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

• Triview Metropolitan District, May 22 – Bond passes; new board directors welcomed (6/7/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, April 17 – Economic development incentive approved for retail development (5/3/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, March 3 and 20 – Bond ballot language, Conexus improvements approved (4/5/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Feb. 11 – Northern Monument Creek Interceptor pipeline project IGA approved (3/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Jan. 23 – 2025 water and wastewater rates and fees increase approved (2/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Dec. 16 – Study reveals water and wastewater rate increase; administrative/utility offices pursued (1/4/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Nov. 21 – 2025 annual budget approved; mill levies set (12/5/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Oct. 24 – Bond pursued for road widening project (11/2/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Sept. 19 – Northern Delivery System fully operational; resident raises traffic concerns (10/5/2024)
• NDS ribbon cutting, Aug. 14 (9/7/2024)

• Inclusion of property
• Cell tower contract
• Convey, treat, and deliver contract amendment
• Northern Delivery System update
• Northern Monument Creek Interceptor update
• Sanctuary Pointe Park update
• Executive session

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) meeting on Nov. 13, the board approved an inclusion of commercial property and a cell tower lease agreement, and agreed to approve an amendment to the Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) agreement to convey, treat, and deliver district-owned water. The board received updates from Kiewit representatives on the Northern Delivery System (NDS) pipeline installation project, and an update on the Northern Monument Creek Interceptor (NMCI) pipeline project. The board held an executive session to receive legal advice and discuss negotiations regarding water supply contracts, property acquisitions, strategic planning and change cases.

President Mark Melville was excused.

Inclusion of property

District counsel George Rowley said a commercial property owner had petitioned for an inclusion of property into TMD Subdistrict A, about 19.88 acres south of the southeast corner of Higby Road and east of Jackson Creek Parkway.

District Manager James McGrady said commercial property would add substantial mills to the district’s revenue, and the additional revenue will help pay for the Higby Road improvements.

The board approved resolution 2023-09, 4-0.

Cell tower contract

McGrady requested the board review and consider a cell site lease agreement for $1,800 per month between Dish Wireless LLC and the TMD for a cell phone tower at the district’s C Plant in Sanctuary Pointe, and authorize the district manager to sign the contract after the Monument Planning Commission had reviewed the plan.

Several board members raised concerns regarding esthetics and the removal of equipment from the water tank should the contract end.

McGrady requested Rowley add the obligation to remove equipment to the contract, and a stipulation to maintain an esthetically pleasing look with the intent to match the color of the equipment to the tank, to include the shed.

The board approved the lease agreement contingent on the additional conditions, 4-0.

Convey, treat, and deliver contract amendment

Water attorney Chris Cummins requested the board review and approve an amendment to TMD’s convey, treat, and deliver water contract with Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU). The amendment provides greater clarity for TMD to include additional lands into the service area, to provide water service outside of the TMD boundaries pursuant to contracts/commitments, and to wheel water through the NDS to other entities, specifically including Forest Lakes Metropolitan District. The amendment is pending review and approval by Colorado Springs City Council and the CSU board. Upon approval of the measure by the TMD Board of Directors, the district manager is authorized to execute such amendment on behalf of TMD, subject to approval by City Council/Utilities Board in January, he said.

The board agreed with the revision and expected to approve the addition in early 2024.

Northern Delivery System update

Construction/Operations Manager Mike McDonald of Kiewit Infrastructure said the NDS pipeline project began as promised in May 2023, the installation was on schedule, and overall the public is happy and only a few complaints were received. He thanked the board and the executive team for the opportunity to complete the pipeline.

Project manager Max McClean said 29,000 feet of pipe had been installed and the Pump House tank was enroute from France. The electrical equipment is expected to be in the district in March and the metal building will be constructed in December 2023.

McGrady said Kiewit Infrastructure had been on board for three years and had kept the price within 10% despite inflation. The district has spent about $16 million on the project so far, and the road overlay and completion of the pump house remain to complete the contract. The project is expected to total about $21.8 million. Fire hydrants are now installed every 1,000 feet along the pipeline route.

Cummins said that besides the Cherokee Sundance Pipeline that runs down Volmer Road, Rollercoaster Road is the second road in Black Forest with a continuous number of fire hydrants in a heavily wooded area within the county.

Kiewit will complete the Segment D pipeline installation to a new proposed road in the Conexus development on the west side of I-25. On completion, the NDS pipeline will connect northern El Paso County to CSU. There is nothing else like the NDS other than the Southern Delivery System in southern Colorado, he said. See www.ocn.me/v23n10.htm#tmd and www.triviewmetro.com.

Northern Monument Creek Interceptor update

McGrady said four vendors submitted bids for the NMCI design, and it makes sense to the district and Forest Lakes Metropolitan District to participate in the project. The district will know if the project will make financial sense in July 2024 and should budget accordingly for the potential for the project to move forward and be completed in 2026. The NMCI pipeline project would move wastewater from the district to the J.D. Phillips Water Resource Recovery Facility in Colorado Springs, located off Mark Dabling Boulevard.

Participating in the NMCI will lower operational costs and gives the district certainty that upgrades will not be needed in the future. The Upper Monument Creek Regional Waste Water Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF) is land locked and the mandatory upgrades will be difficult to install should expansion be needed at the facility, he said.

Vice President Anthony Sexton said that in the past some quotes for the upgrades to the UMCRWWTF were estimated at about $30 million, and the customer rates to accommodate those upgrades would be high. The cost for the NMCI would be split with other communities participating in the project, he said.

Superintendent Shawn Sexton said the district’s wastewater flows will need to be known and accurate before fully participating in the NMCI. Bai Engineers of Greenwood Village began a six-month study in August to examine the fluctuating wastewater flows at the UMCRWWTF. The past couple of years saw slight increases in the flows, but not as significant as 2023. The district will know more in three months, he said.

Sanctuary Pointe Park update

McGrady said Classic Homes had decided to postpone the Sanctuary Pointe Park Grand Opening until June 2024. The park rental fees will be held in an escrow account for future maintenance and turf replacement, he said.

Assistant Manager Steve Sheffield said the district will look at how the county and city park rentals are managed, but the district will give priority to local teams.

Secretary/Treasurer James Barnhart suggested blackout periods to allow the residents to use the field.

Sexton said the district will need to collect enough funds to pay for the artificial turf replacement in about seven to 10 years. The replacement is estimated to cost about $1 million.

Executive session

The board moved into an executive session at 8:03 p.m., pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes 24-6-402(4) (a), (b), (e), to receive legal advice, discuss negotiations regarding; water supply contracts, property acquisitions, strategic planning and change cases.

District Administrator Joyce Levad confirmed that after the meeting, no actions were taken by the Board of Directors when the regular meeting resumed.

The meeting adjourned at 9:03 p.m.

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Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday every month at the district office at 16055 Old Forest Point, Suite 302. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 13 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, May 22 – Bond passes; new board directors welcomed (6/7/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, April 17 – Economic development incentive approved for retail development (5/3/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, March 3 and 20 – Bond ballot language, Conexus improvements approved (4/5/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Feb. 11 – Northern Monument Creek Interceptor pipeline project IGA approved (3/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Jan. 23 – 2025 water and wastewater rates and fees increase approved (2/1/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Dec. 16 – Study reveals water and wastewater rate increase; administrative/utility offices pursued (1/4/2025)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Nov. 21 – 2025 annual budget approved; mill levies set (12/5/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Oct. 24 – Bond pursued for road widening project (11/2/2024)
• Triview Metropolitan District, Sept. 19 – Northern Delivery System fully operational; resident raises traffic concerns (10/5/2024)
• NDS ribbon cutting, Aug. 14 (9/7/2024)