Triview Metropolitan District, May 23 – Water and wastewater rates and fees increase approved; billing discrepancy solves wastewater increase

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.

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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.