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OCN > 2309 > Triview Metropolitan District, Aug. 17 – Water usage sets record high

Triview Metropolitan District, Aug. 17 – Water usage sets record high

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) meeting on Aug. 17, the board heard about recording breaking high-water usage in July, approved a water use agreement and the completion of a new park, and received an update on the Northern Delivery System (NDS) pipeline project. The district held an executive session that resulted in an exclusion of property.

Water usage reaches all-time high

Superintendent Shawn Sexton said that July set a record high for water pumped at about 49 million gallons, with a 9% variance. All wells are available, and all three plants are running well. The district is approaching an extended period of pumping capacity at 17.5 gallons per minute, and that can be problematic, he said.

District Manager James McGrady said August is looking equally high for water usage, pumping 2.2-2.3 million gallons per day. The district has seven or eight wells running and can meet the demand without using the ninth. The NDS pipeline will make a huge difference once operational and will meet the demands of the district at buildout, he said.

Vice President Anthony Sexton said it might be the last July the district pumped well water.

President Mark Melville said if a problem occurs with the NDS, the district has about a million gallons of water in the tanks, about one day’s worth of storage capacity. In an emergency, the tanks would provide the residents with enough water to take a shower in the morning, but the district has the capability to pump about 1.5 million to 2 million gallons of groundwater a day to maintain supply to the district, he said.

Water use agreement

Water Attorney Chris Cummins said that late that afternoon, a water use sharing agreement had been reached between Triview and the Arkansas Ground and Reservoir Association (AGRA), both representing the majority ownership of the Excelsior Irrigating Co. The agreement allows both entities to use each other’s water rights, with written notice, when necessary, when those water shares are not in use, he said.

McGrady said the district is having a banner year capturing water, 120% above average, but needs to think about water storage a couple of years down the road. The district will always top off Stonewall Springs Reservoir before selling water and ensure the district is taken care of first, he said.

The board unanimously approved the agreement.

NDS update

McGrady said the NDS pipeline installation is almost completed from B plant to Stage Coach Road, representing about two-thirds of the pipeline. The project is on track and under budget, and all the pipeline will be installed by September, he said. Baptist, Roller Coaster, and Northgate Roads will be paved out with a 2-inch overlay by the end of October.

Director Sexton asked if the new fire hydrants could be protected from vehicles in any way.

McGrady said the hydrants are designed to break off during collisions, and if damage occurs frequently the district would consider moving a hydrant back a few feet, but replacing hydrants occasionally will be part of the game. He informed Fire Chief Andy Kovacs that all the hydrants will be charged in the next few weeks, and Kovacs is thrilled to have fire protection for the first time in Black Forest. The pump station (at the intersection of Old Northgate Road on the eastside of Highway 83) foundation is being formed and poured and will be dried in by October. The district staff will begin installing electrical and pumps inside during the winter with an anticipated completion date in July 2024, he said.

Note: For NDS pipeline project updates, alternate traffic routes, road closures, answers to questions, and to sign-up for email and text notifications, visit www.triviewnds.com. The link can also be found at www.triviewmetro.com.

Renewable water

During public comments, this reporter requested information on renewable reuse water return flows to the district.

Melville said the district-owned water mostly flows through homes to the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility, where it is treated before flowing downstream. Flows are exchanged or captured in the Big Johnson Reservoir, or at the Stonewall Springs Reservoir via the Southern Delivery System/Arkansas River, where it can be used to extinction. The district puts about an acre-foot or 326,000 gallons into Monument Creek per day, to be captured and reused. The district plans (with the 1041 permits already in place) to capture its water and return those flows via the NDS pipeline. It was part of the district’s strategy to move to a renewable/reuse water system and be less reliant on groundwater from the Denver Basin aquifer system, said Melville.

Cummins said Forest Lakes Metropolitan District (FLMD) anticipates taking part in the NDS system and using some of the TMD excess pipeline capacity to deliver return flows to FLMD but not TMD water. It is unclear how FLMD return flows will be captured and returned for reuse, he said. See FLMD article on page < 9 >.

Employee retirement plan change

Assistant District Manager Steve Sheffield said that when he was hired, he tried to roll over his retirement plan and the response he received from Lincoln Financial was not helpful, resulting in considerable time fixing the transfer. After discussing the potential change with the district staff, everyone agreed the switch would be beneficial. He requested the board review and approve Resolution 2023-06, a resolution of the TMD Board of Directors to change the retirement fund managers from Lincoln Financial to Corebridge Financial.

The board unanimously approved the resolution.

Public Works and Parks and Open Space update

Public Works and Parks and Open Space Superintendent Matt Rayno said the following:

  • Agate Creek Park and the adjacent trails are complete (see photo with caption).
  • Old Creek Park has been completed, with the addition of a shade structure pavilion area and picnic table. Some of the other parks will receive shade structures in the future.
  • The district plans to repair in house the crack seal projects with a focus on Sanctuary Rim Road. Instead of a three- or four-day contract, the district will rent the machine for a month for the same cost of about $20,000.
  • Some grading and berms will be used to divert excess water draining from St. Lawrence Way and the Plant B tract out toward Gleneagle Drive.
  • Removable lockable bollards will be installed on some trails to prevent an ongoing issue with residents encroaching into the trail system. The use of heavy equipment to access yards for construction and landscaping had the potential to cause damage. Residents are required to contact the district for property access via easements.
  • The district had planned to install a permanent enclosed Porta-Potty station at the Little Train Park in Promontory Pointe, but contract servicing would cost about $500 per month for two units (about $5,000 a season). The district purchased two units for about $1,200, and the Vactor truck will service the units when it arrives in the district. The units will be positioned where needed for events.
Above: Agate Creek Park facing west with the sun setting over Mount Herman on Aug. 22. The project to completely overhaul and enhance the park and the adjoining trail system began after the tie in of the 16-inch main pipeline for the Northern Delivery System project destroyed the trail during the installation process. The project was completed by the district staff in early August. Photo by Natalie Barszcz.

Director Sexton said the Little Train Park in Promontory Pointe looked good for the 80 residents that attended the movie night, and many good comments were received.

Director Jason Gross thanked Rayno and the crews for stepping up and not just doing the minimum when working on the landscaping throughout the district.

Sanctuary Pointe Park completion close

Steve Schlosser, Classic Homes project manager for the west side of Monument Junction and a resident of Sanctuary Pointe, proposed the board consider Rocky Mountain Turf Solutions install 150,000 square feet of UV protected AstroTurf for the planned soccer/lacrosse multi-use field in Sanctuary Pointe. The park would also receive sidewalks, a shade structure, natural stone stadium seating on the northeast side with trees planted to look like they are part of the forest to provide additional shade for spectators, he said.

Rayno said AstroTurf is less maintenance for the district than natural grass.

Director Amanda Carlton said artificial grass had been linked to cancer due to the PFAS, or per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances—so-called “forever chemicals.”

Cummins said Palmer Lake had also debated using AstroTurf because of the plastic pellets contained under the plastic blades.

Schlosser said a new mesh system is designed to hold the pellets in place, unlike the old design.

Rayno said signs for the correct use of the AstroTurf sporting field will be installed at the park.

McGrady said the Sanctuary Pointe Homeowners Association paid about $3,000 per home for the park development, and Classic Homes has contributed and pledged to complete the park. No other sporting field exists in the district, and artificial turf would be beneficial, he said. TMD would split the cost and pay $1 million toward the project. There is room to park on either side of Sanctuary Rim Road, and about 60 parking spaces are available at the park.

Schlosser said the district would be responsible for booking the facility, and program revenues from clubs and events using the facility would return to the district for the maintenance of the park. The turf product has the least number of injuries within the artificial turf industry, and he estimated a mid- to late September completion, followed by a ribbon-cutting event, he said.

McGrady requested the board review and consider approval of a funding agreement between Collin Elite 1 LLC and TMD concerning the sharing of costs for developing a neighborhood park in the Sanctuary Pointe development in Monument, with authorization for the district manager to sign the agreement.

The board approved the resolution 4-1, with Carlton dissenting.

Schlosser said he would contact the company and request product safety information.

Conexus property exclusion

McGrady said a swale, typically a cattle grazing pasture, exists in the district between the I-25 southbound ramp, the Santa Fe Trail, and south of Second Street. The land is adjacent to the Conexus-owned property and will create a maintenance issue if it remains in the district.

Melville opened a public hearing for resolution 2023-07 and, hearing no comments, promptly closed the hearing.

McGrady requested the board review and approve Resolution 2023-07, a resolution of the TMD Board of Directors, accepting a Petition for the Exclusion of Real Property from TMD known as Tracts D and E of Conexus Filing Number 2.

Director Sexton asked why the district would consider excluding the land and requested the board discuss the exclusion further in executive session.

The board unanimously approved tabling the resolution for further discussion in executive session.

Note: Gross left the meeting at 8:02 p.m., before the executive session.

Executive session

The board moved into an executive session at 8:39 p.m., pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes 24-6-402(4) (a), (b), (e), to discuss acquisitions and negotiations and receive legal advice regarding water and property acquisitions, change cases, the Higby Road design, and resolution 2023-07, a petition for exclusion of real property.

After the meeting, Sheffield confirmed that the board returned to the regular meeting at 9:19 p.m. and voted on resolution 2023-07 pertaining to the exclusion of property from the district (Conexus property). The motion passed 3-1, with Carlton dissenting.

The board adjourned at 9:23 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 Sept. 21 at 5:30 p.m. For meeting agendas, minutes, and updates, visit https://triviewmetro.com.

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

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