Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, April 14 – Board moves accounts to Integrity Bank and Trust

Check fraud leads to change of banks
Special board meetings scheduled
Financial report
Operational reports

By James Howald

In April, the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District (WWSD) board authorized staff to move the district’s bank accounts to Integrity Bank and Trust. It scheduled two special board meetings. The board heard a financial report from Board Treasurer Roy Martinez and operational reports from District Manager Jessie Shaffer, Operations Superintendent Dan LaFontaine, and District Engineer Cydney Saelens.

Check fraud leads to change of banks

Shaffer asked the board to authorize staff to move the district’s bank accounts from Community Banks of Colorado to Integrity Bank and Trust. Shaffer said the district had been the victim of a “check washing” scheme: a WWSD check made out to a vendor had been intercepted by someone who removed the district’s name and address from the check and substituted their own. The amount of the check was not changed, Shaffer said. The incident required WWSD to close its accounts with Community Banks of Colorado; Shaffer said the district would also implement an additional control on its bank accounts called “positive pay,” which will require district staff to review and clear checks every day at 8 a.m. in perpetuity.

Shaffer said the district already has an investment account at Integrity Bank and Trust and district staff have been pleased with the bank’s customer service. He said the new bank offered the same services as Community Banks and had slightly higher interest rates.

Office Manager Cory Lynch said she was familiar with Integrity Bank and that it had low fees.

The board authorized the transition to Integrity Bank.

Special board meetings scheduled

The board scheduled a special meeting to award a drilling contract for well 12R, a new well that will be drilled in the South Woodmoor Preserve, to be held on April 28 at 9 a.m. at the WWSD offices at 1845 Woodmoor Dr. Shaffer said bids for the contract would open on April 17, so the board should be ready to award the contract quickly.

A second special board meeting, at which newly appointed board member Dana Franzen will take the seat currently held by Director Dan Beley, was scheduled for May 7 at 1 p.m. at the WWSD offices. Martinez commended Beley for six years of service on the board: Beley was initially appointed to serve the last two years of another board member’s term and then was elected to another four-year term.

At the May 7 meeting, the board will also make any appointments necessary to fill vacancies and will elect officers. Board Secretary Bill Clewe said he could not attend the meeting but was willing to serve another term as secretary and supported board President Brian Bush to serve another two years as president. Bush, who attended the meeting remotely, had offered to continue as president at the March board meeting.

Financial report

Martinez told the board that supplemental water sales did well in early 2025. (Users of supplemental water pay a higher rate than customers who stay within the standard water allotment.) Shaffer said La Plata Communities had elected to take advantage of a one-year delay in supplemental water rate increases that WWSD offered to developers in good standing for its Waterside development and its purchase of supplemental water had contributed to that revenue increase.

Martinez noted that tap fees were 6% under target. He said the purchase of a second three-quarter-ton truck had raised expenditures.

The board voted unanimously to accept the financial report.

Operational reports

In his Manager’s Report, Shaffer mentioned House Bill 25-1211, which regulates tap fees imposed by special districts such as WWSD. Shaffer said WWSD’s tap fee policies already align with the requirements of the bill, but the bill also says water districts must serve all proposed developments if the districts have the capacity to serve. He speculated that developers had influenced the progress of the bill.

Shaffer said a crew was preparing the Chilcott Ditch to begin delivering water to shareholders and the years-long revegetation work, required by the reclassification of Woodmoor Ranch’s water from agricultural to municipal use, was coming to a close, and was primarily addressing weed control rather than planting native grasses.

In his Operations Report, Operation Superintendent Dan LaFontaine provided additional detail about maintenance of the Chilcott Ditch. LaFontaine said the annual ditch maintenance included mowing, tree removal and stabilization of the ditch banks using riprap. He said an additional gate was being added to better regulate water flow through the ditch and avoid surges following rainstorms.

LaFontaine said he was continuing to work on identifying the causes of water loss in WWSD’s infrastructure by adding water tank storage levels to his analysis, in addition to meter testing and having his crews be vigilant for evidence of leaks. He said a contractor had noted the presence of water during construction of a new home and that led to the discovery of a leaking saddle, which was repaired. LaFontaine said his goal was to keep unaccounted water under 10%, which would be considered excellent by industry standards. In March, about 15% of the water produced was unaccounted for, according to LaFontaine.

LaFontaine said the meter replacement project was on track to install 1,200 meters this year, which would complete residential replacements.

In her Engineer’s Report, Saelens said she was working with JVA Consulting Engineers on a plan to decommission one of the district’s lift stations. Decommissioning the lift station would cost $630,000 but would save the district money in the long run.

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The next meeting is on May 12 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.

Check fraud leads to change of banks

Special board meetings scheduled

Financial report

Operational reports

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