Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, Sept. 8 – Board plans for Accessory Dwelling Units

• ADUs present challenges
• Financial and operational reports
• District to remain with Xpress Bill Pay
• Executive session

By James Howald

At its September meeting, the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District (WWSD) board began planning how to integrate Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) into its existing policies, specifications, and procedures. The board also heard financial and operational reports. District Manager Jessie Shaffer told the board that he, in consultation with the office staff, had decided to continue with Xpress Bill Pay as the district’s online billing provider. The meeting ended with an executive session.

ADUs present challenges

District Manager Jessie Shaffer told the board that he, District Engineer Cydney Saelens, and Operations Superintendent Dan LaFontaine had discussed the many issues raised by ADUs and had decided to come to the board for direction.

Shaffer said he had received two requests from district residents for approval to move forward with construction of ADUs. An ADU is a secondary housing unit on a single-family residential lot that does not require subdivision. They are also called guest houses, granny flats, mother-in-law suites, and backyard cottages, Shaffer said. They may be attached, detached, or integrated, Shaffer said. Integrated ADUs use basements or upper floors as the secondary unit.

Last year, the Colorado Legislature passed House Bill 24-1152, Shaffer said, which requires certain land use jurisdictions to allow ADUs. The law says jurisdictions can’t regulate parking or require the primary unit to be occupied by the owner. The law, which went into effect June 30, also prevents the unreasonable restriction of ADUs, he said.

Shaffer pointed out that WWSD’s existing regulations do not define or provide guidance regarding ADUs. He listed several questions and concerns, including:

• Must ADUs have their own water and sewer taps, and require the payment of tap fees?
• People are trying to figure out how to get an ADU approved without paying additional fees.
• “Daisy-chaining” of service lines—essentially adding the ADU to the existing service lines—raises concerns about water pressure and sewer flow.
• El Paso County mandates that ADUs not have separate metering.

Shaffer said WWSD needed to update its rules and regulations to include a clear definition of an ADU. He opened a discussion with the board concerning tap fees, service line sizes, and several other technical aspects.

Following a lengthy discussion, Shaffer summarized the direction of the board as follows:

• ADUs cannot buy separate taps; they must use a “daisy-chain configuration.”
• Water lines must be upgraded from ¾-inch lines to 1-inch lines, and the ADU owner must pay the differential costs arising from the larger service line.
• ADUs will not require an increase in sewer fees.
• ADUs will not pay an additional Renewable Water Infrastructure Fee.
• The volume tiers for ADUs will not change.
• Separate billing will not be allowed.

Board President Brian Bush said he thought interest in ADUs would diminish once the costs were understood.

Financial and operational reports

Director Roy Martinez gave the board a financial report in place of board Treasurer Dana Franzen, who was excused from the meeting. Martinez said the district’s finances are “on track overall.” Bush commented that revenue from water sales was lower than expected, but the water level in Woodmoor Lake was higher than expected.

The board voted unanimously to accept Martinez’s report.

In his operations report, LaFontaine noted that water usage in August was up over July, but still less than normal. Reduced usage contributed to the fact that the water level in the lake was seven feet higher than expected.

In her Engineering report, Saelens updated the board on work being done on two water storage tanks. Preload, which is constructing a new concrete water tank, has finished construction and planned to start coating the tank on Sept. 15. Coblaco, the company hired to recoat the existing storage tank, was scheduled to begin its work on Sept. 22.

District to remain with Xpress Bill Pay

Shaffer told the board that Xpress Bill Pay had fixed its problems with billing errors, and he and Office Manager Cory Lynch recommended remaining with that vendor instead of transitioning to Cassell.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session for the board to receive legal counsel regarding potential agreements with the Loop Water Authority and Tallgrass Colorado Municipal Water LLC. No action was taken following the executive session.

**********

The next meeting is on Oct. 13 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.

Other Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District articles

• Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, Jan. 12 – Board hires new attorney (2/4/2026)
• Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, Dec. 15 – 2026 budget adopted and rates set (12/31/2025)
• Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, Nov. 17 – Rate increases for 2026 discussed (12/4/2025)
• Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, Oct. 13 – Schedule set for 2026 budget (10/30/2025)
• Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, Aug. 11 – Water tank recoat contract awarded (9/4/2025)
• Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, July 14 – 2025 budget gets midyear tune up (8/1/2025)
• Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, June 9 – 2024 audit finds “clean” finances (7/3/2025)
• Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, April 28, May 6 and 12 – Board awards well drilling contract, elects officers (6/7/2025)
• Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, April 14 – Board moves accounts to Integrity Bank and Trust (5/3/2025)
• Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, March 10 – Board authorizes easement agreement for Well 12R (4/5/2025)