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OCN > 2602 > El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, Jan. 15 – Board hears updates from Merrick and SpencerFane

El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, Jan. 15 – Board hears updates from Merrick and SpencerFane

Highlights

  • The Loop board heard progress on design review for the Burns & McDonnell lift stations and pipelines, with a change order cut to $37,000 after noting an initial $70,000 demand was unjustified.
  • Geotech reduced bore holes and cost for soil analysis at Calhan Reservoir expansion from 12 holes at $119,000 to 8 or fewer holes at $55,000, and the board approved a change order for the lower cost.
  • Negotiations to buy the Sundance Pipeline from Cherokee Metropolitan District were ongoing, with expectations of a response from CMD soon.
  • Invoices totaling $156,000 from December were approved for payment, and the Loop reported $1.3 million in third-quarter expenses submitted for county reimbursement, with ongoing financial contributions from participating districts.
  • The Loop currently has about $510,000 in the bank, and the next regular meeting is set for Feb. 19 at 9 a.m. at Monument Town Hall.

By James Howald

At a brief meeting in January, the El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority (EPCRLWA, or the Loop) board heard progress reports from Rebecca Hutchinson, a civil design engineer with Merrick and Co., who is acting as the Loop’s workflow manager, and from Mallory Craig, a lawyer with SpencerFane, the Loop’s legal adviser. Corben Fromm, of Fromm & Co. LLC, the Loop’s accounting firm, gave the board a financial report.

Change orders scrutinized

Hutchinson told the board that Burns & McDonnell, the company designing the lift stations and pipelines for the Loop, was expected to have its design available for review soon. Hutchinson said the plan would be reviewed by Merrick and then would be available to the Loop board. She said that a change order to the contract now stood at $37,000, an increase from the original cost.

Board President Jessie Shaffer noted that the change order had been reduced from $70,000. He said that Burns & McDonnell had done some additional work beyond what was specified in the contract, but an increase of $70,000 was unjustified. The board voted to approve a change order for the lower amount.

A cost decrease in regard to the expansion of the Calhan Reservoir was also reviewed. At the previous meeting, there was discussion about the number of bore holes required to categorize the soils at the reservoir and at the Chilcott Ditch. Geotech, the company analyzing the soils, originally proposed drilling 12 holes at a cost of $119,000. Shaffer said Geotech had agreed to reduce the number of bores and lower the cost to $55,000. Board member Dan LaFontane made a motion to draft a change order at the lower cost; his motion was approved by the board.

Craig told the board that negotiations for the Loop to buy the Sundance Pipeline from Cherokee Metropolitan District (CMD) were still underway, and she expected to hear from CMD soon.

Financial report

Fromm told the board that invoices totaling $156,000 had been received in December. The invoices were from accounting, legal, and engineering companies. The board approved payment of the invoices.

He noted that the Loop had received reimbursement from the El Paso Board of County Commissioners for the Loop’s expenses during the first and second quarters of 2025. Fromm said $1.3 million in expenses for the third quarter had been submitted to the county for reimbursement, and the Loop had received financial contributions from the participating districts.

Fromm said the Loop had $510,000 in the bank.

The board voted unanimously to accept Fromm’s financial report.

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The next regular meeting is scheduled for Feb. 19 at 9 a.m. Regular meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 9 a.m. at the Monument Town Hall at 645 Beacon Lite Road. Please see loopwater.org or call 719-488-3603 to verify meeting times and locations.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.

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