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OCN > 2401 > Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, Dec. 12 – Board approves rate increases and budget

Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, Dec. 12 – Board approves rate increases and budget

By James Howald

At its December meeting, the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District (WWSD) board concluded public hearings on rate increases and on its proposed budget for 2024. Both hearings were opened at its November meeting. The hearings were followed by votes on the rates and the budget. The board renewed the management contract between the district and the Chilcott Ditch Co. The board also heard financial and operational reports. The meeting ended with an executive session.

Rates increases for 2024 approved

At the beginning of the public hearing on rates, District Manager Jessie Shaffer told the board that an incorrect rate for Tier 2 water usage had been published on the district’s web page. The Tier 2 rate covers water usage from 6,001 to 25,000 gallons per month. Shaffer said the district intended to raise the rates for all usage tiers by 4% but had incorrectly published a 1.9% increase for Tier 2 water. Correcting the rate would require a 30-day waiting period while the new rate was announced to the public, he said. Shaffer explained that the average residence uses 6,785 gallons of water a month, so the bulk of revenue is from Tier 1 water sales and the impact of the lower rate would be negligible. He recommended keeping the lower rate in place, enabling the board to finish its work on rates quickly.

There were no comments from the public, and board President Brian Bush closed the hearing.

The board accepted Shaffer’s recommendation and voted unanimously in favor of Resolution 23-04, which adopts the rates as published.

Note: Details about the 2024 rates and fees can be found in the December issue of OCN here: www.ocn.me/v23n12.htm#wwsd.

2024 budget approved

Bush continued the hearing on the 2024 budget opened at the November meeting.

Shaffer told the board that the proposed budget included a 25% increase in potable water tap fees but made no change to sewer tap fees. He estimated the district would see $4.2 million in tap fees in 2024 if it sells 90 new taps as expected. He listed some fees that will increase in 2024 to allow the district to recoup the cost of delivering services, such as installing new water meters, which are more expensive than previous meters. Engineering fees charged by the district are increasing to $120 per hour. He noted that some construction projects expected to be completed in 2023 needed to be carried over to 2024.

There were no comments from the public on the budget, and Bush closed the hearing. The board voted to approve Resolution 23-05, which adopts the budget as proposed and appropriates the funds required. Bush and Directors Bill Clewe, Roy Martinez, and Tom Roddam voted in favor; Director Dan Beley voted against, arguing that the water tap fees should have been raised 47% as the district’s rate consultants advised.

Contract with Chilcott Ditch Co. renewed

Shaffer asked the board to renew its contract with the Chilcott Ditch Co., explaining this contract needed renewal every year. The contract obligates WWSD to provide accounting and administration services to the ditch company for a fee of $1,500 per month. The new contract did not increase the fee, Shaffer said. WWSD also provides labor to the ditch company for an hourly rate. Shaffer said the new contract increased the hourly rate from $36 to $39 per hour.

The board voted unanimously to renew the contract.

Financial, operational, and engineering reports

Board Treasurer Roy Martinez told the board that November was a normal month in terms of water usage. He said the district was at 81% of its expected water sales for the year.

Operations Superintendent Dan LaFontaine said there had been some small breaks in pipelines during November, one of which was complicated by the presence of an unmarked electric line. The district was running entirely on ground water, he said.

District Engineer Ariel Hacker gave the board an update on the status of new and existing wells. Site work has begun on Well 22. Drilling of the well at the Central Water Treatment Plant property, just northwest of the Lewis-Palmer Middle School football field, has not yet begun, she said. Some equipment had to be abandoned at the bottom of Well 12. Well 16 is out of production due to a motor failure.

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The next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2024 at 1 p.m. Meetings are usually held on the second Monday of each month at 1 p.m. at the district office at 1845 Woodmoor Drive; please see www.woodmoorwater.com or call 719-488-2525 to verify meeting times and locations.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.

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