Triview Metropolitan District, Oct. 16 – Proposed 2026 budget presented

2026 proposed budget
Tap fee update
Higby Road project bank accounts
Water operations update
AmCobi (third party billing)
Assistant manager’s update
Executive session

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) meeting on Oct. 16, the board received the proposed 2026 budget that includes an increase in water volume for delivery through the Northern Delivery System (NDS). There is a potential for a small increase in water and wastewater fees in 2026. The board heard about the additional revenue received from tap fees, the efforts to resolve the accuracy of wastewater flows and the accounting of unsold produced water, and the hiring of a Public Works inspector/project manager.

The board held an executive session to discuss the purchase and sale of water and land, and agreements with the Town of Monument (TOM) and other governmental, private, and associated entities.

Secretary/Treasurer Amanda Carlton was excused.

President Jason Gross did not attend.

2026 proposed budget

District Manager James McGrady presented the proposed 2026 budget and highlighted the following:

1,000 acre-feet of the district’s water will be budgeted for delivery via the NDS at $9.99 per 1,000 gallons (the district budgeted 700 acre-feet in 2025 for Colorado Springs Utilities to convey, treat, and deliver at $9.34 per 1,000 gallons).
$250,000 will be budgeted for the district administration/utility office building (the district is using a 10-year loan with a fixed 4.75% interest rate. The loan may be paid off early.
The mill levy is proposed to remain at 21 mills for the main district debt service.
A small increase in the water and wastewater rates may be necessary in 2026 to keep up with inflation.
The district plans to update the Kitchener Way playground with an accessible design to include activities for children on the autism spectrum.

Director John Gibbons stated he had reviewed all of the fund balance sheets and confirmed the district has a workable budget.

The public hearing for the proposed 2026 budget is scheduled for the Dec. 11 board meeting.

Note: The September financial report was included as part of the proposed 2026 budget. Board financial reports are available at https://triviewmetro.com.

Tap fee update

District Administrator Sara Lamb said that year to date, the district had received 75 taps generating almost $4 million in revenue.

Vice President Ann Marie Jojola said tap fee income will eventually go away for residential property.

McGrady said the district anticipates several years of residential tap fee collection with about 85 taps expected in 2026, but tap fees for future commercial properties will continue after residential buildout is completed. The warehouse-type properties have a single tap and generate high revenue property tax using little water compared to multi-family apartment properties. The district is expecting to finalize about 12 taps for the apartment complex planned south of Higby Road before the end of the year, bringing the total revenue to about $4.5 million, said McGrady.

Higby Road project bank accounts

Lamb thanked the board directors for approving two new bank accounts for the Higby Road project.

McGrady said the two new bank accounts, titled Higby Road Project and Developer Agreement Fund, will provide transparency for billing purposes during the project and avoid any co-mingling of funds with the General Operations Fund. About $500,000 in developer fees have already been collected, and using the voter-approved $12.6 million bond funding at 5.05% interest, Kiewit will be paid from the new accounts.

Note: The $12.6 million bond was voter-approved on May 6 with 344 votes for and 230 votes against. For additional information about the project and updates, visit https://triviewhigbyroad.com.

Water operations update

Water Treatment Superintendent Gary Potter said Well A7 and Well D7 need to be rehabilitated with new pumps in 2026, and costs will be included in the 2026 budget. The district will need the wells online to supplement the district’s NDS water if 2026 is a dry year. The NDS produced 52% of the district’s water in September, said Potter.

McGrady said the district needed to supplement the NDS water with pumped well water to have enough of the allocated 700 acre-feet available for the remainder of the year.

Potter said issues continue with the reading accuracy of the flow-measuring equipment at the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility. A technician recently recalibrated the equipment, and after a couple of weeks of data, the district will decide how to proceed.

The district produced 40.272 million gallons in the Sept. billing cycle and sold 37.567 million gallons to customers, leaving 2.628 million gallons of non-revenue water. The staff is trying to determine if the loss is an apparent loss or a real loss and is testing meters and installing new meters to verify accuracy. The district is also analyzing billing data to find and correct anomalies, and several irrigation meters were found to be severely under-registering water usage, said Potter.

AmCobi (third party billing)

Lamb said the administrative staff had its annual meeting with American Conservation & Billing Solutions (AmCobi, the district’s third-party water/wastewater billing service) to discuss a clear vision regarding customer service goals, finding strengths and weaknesses in billing. A decision to meet quarterly to focus on a more collaborative process in shared responsibilities was made.

Gibbons said that he usually receives his monthly bill with only two days before the due date and his bank locks out the due date via electronic payment, resulting in a late payment.

Lamb thanked Gibbons for the feedback.

Assistant manager’s update

Assistant Manager Steve Sheffield said the district hired Tom Martinez for the position of Public Works inspector/project manager in October.

Executive session

The board moved into executive session at about 8:25 p.m. to receive legal advice pursuant to CRS section 24-6-402(4)(b), as it relates to water matters and agreements with the TOM and other governmental entities.

Sheffield confirmed to this reporter that no action was taken when the board returned to the regular session.

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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 meeting is scheduled for Nov. 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.