OCN

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

OCN > 2402 > Donala Water and Sanitation District, Jan. 9 and 18 – Budget adopted and mill levies certified

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Jan. 9 and 18 – Budget adopted and mill levies certified

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

The Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board held a special meeting on Jan. 9 that included a public hearing on its 2024 budget. After the hearing, it adopted the budget and appropriated the necessary funds, set rates, and certified mill levies. It held a regular board meeting on Jan. 18, during which it passed its annual administrative resolution, set a schedule for board meetings, and heard operational reports.

Budget, rates, and mill levies wrapped up

At the Jan. 9 meeting, board President Wayne Vanderschuere opened a public hearing on the proposed 2024 budget, which had been discussed by the board at previous meetings. Information in the board packet noted that, due to actions taken by the state Legislature following the failure of Proposition HH, the district’s property tax revenue had increased by $416,080 and the budget had been adjusted accordingly. There were no comments from the public, and Vanderschuere closed the hearing.

Following the hearing, the board passed, with a unanimous vote, Resolution 2024-1, which adopted the budget, estimated expenditures for 2024 to be $23 million and estimated total revenues to be $33 million. Accounts Payable Specialist Christina Hawker explained that total revenues include the district’s savings and reserves. The board also voted unanimously in favor of Resolution 2024-2, which appropriated the same required funds.

Next, the board passed Resolution 2023-9, which sets new rates for 2024. The changes to rates were reported in the February issue of Our Community News here: ocn.me/v24n1.htm#dwsd.

Finally, the board certified its mill levies for 2024. Resolution 2024-3 set a mill levy of 21.296 mills for all the district’s service area except the Chaparral Hills neighborhood. Resolution 2024-4 set a mill levy of 10.648 mills for Chaparral Hills. Homes in Chaparral Hills use septic systems, do not connect to the district’s wastewater system and therefore pay a lower rate.

Administrative resolutions

At its Jan. 18 meeting, the board passed Resolution 2024-5, which establishes rules by which the board will operate, such as the timelines for budget approval and other required financial reporting and where legal and meeting notices will be published. This resolution must be updated annually.

The board also set the location, dates, and times for its 2024 board meetings. That schedule is published on the district’s webpage here: www.donalawater.org/images/docs/2023_Meeting_Schedule.pdf.

Highlights of financial, operational reports

  • In his manager’s report, General Manager Jeff Hodge told the board that the district came in under budget for the previous year.
  • Hodge said Classic Homes had proposed a residential development, consisting of 49 homes, adjacent to the Big R store and just east of I-25. To avoid paying a tap fee for each house built, Classic Homes had asked for all the homes to use a single water tap and meter. Typically, each residence has its own water and sewer tap, and the builder pays a fee for those taps when a house is built.
  • Water Operator Ronny Wright told the board that the study of hydrous manganese oxide to reduce radium levels in the district’s water was complete and he would submit it to the state after some fine tuning. After state approval, the district would begin using a process to remediate radium using hydrous manganese oxide technology, and all radium compliance issues should be resolved by the second quarter of 2025.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 15 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) articles