CITIZEN’S ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Meeting Minutes
  April 15, 2004

CAC members in attendance:  Russell Burton (Chair), Michael Buchenau, Tim Flynn, Theresa Jehn-Dellaport, Larry Keesen , Jim Legas, Myrna Poticha, Theresa Worsham, Roberta Simonton  

DW staff:  John Loughry, Rocky Wiley, Greg Fisher, Joe Sloan  

Guests:  Douglas Christ, Rocky Mountain Car Wash Association, Peter Zlatev, Public, Trina Brockwell , citizen, Michael O’Brien, American Civil Contractors, Brenda O’Brien, GreenCO, Melissa Rivera, Public, Diane Young, Aide to Councilwoman Peggy Lehmann

Agenda and minutes  

The agenda was approved after the following changes were made:  Remove the CIS presentation from the agenda and add discussion on the topics of Seed & Sod and Rebate Program.  

The minutes were approved with the following change: page 2 paragraph which begins “Tim Flynn…” change “use” to “loose”.  

Staff Update on the Board Meeting of April 14, 2004 - Discussion & Decisions of Proposed Restrictions & Surcharges  

Rocky Wiley reported the Board had approved restrictions and surcharges at their April 14, 2004 meeting.  The one area the Board did not take action on was sod & seed.  The Board would like to hear more public input before deciding on this restriction.   Rocky distributed the approved restrictions.  Roberta Simonton asked how many customers would be effect or benefit from the “no limit on zone rule” and how much additional water would be needed to allow for the no zone limit.  Rocky will provide those numbers at the next CAC meeting.   

Action:  Rocky will provide a chart of the percentage of customers who would have more than 10 or 12 zones and how much water would be needed to irrigated the additional zones.  

Greg Fisher distributed information on the approved surcharges.  No end date has been set for the surcharges.  The Board will discuss at future meetings what will be done with the funds collected from the surcharge.  Denver Water is facing a significant revenue loss and the Board will address this issue with surcharges as the entire financial situation of Denver Water is reviewed by the Board.  

Tim Flynn requested information on Total Service surcharges.  He also requested a map of which parts of the service area paid surcharges.  Last year Greg produced a map with this information.  Tim would like a copy and would like to see similar tracking of the surcharge this year.  

Action:   Greg will supply copy of the requested map at next CAC meeting.  

Seed & Sod  

Rocky reported that Denver Water staff would be meeting with GreenCO members to discuss sod & seed.  Rocky suggested that any one interested in attending the meeting should contact Liz Gardener.  Larry Keesen and Michael O’Brien offered to attend the meeting.  After discussion a motion was approve by a vote 5 in favor and 3 opposed.

Motion:

The CAC recommends that the Board allow extra watering for new sod (14 days) and new seed (21 days) within a given time period, and that the importance of soil improvements before planting seed or installing sod should be stressed.  There should be no new sod and seed allowed in the months of July and August.  

Master Meter Growth and the Surcharge  

Tim Flynn requested that the CAC ask the Board review Master Meter districts that have grown significantly since 2001.  The usage of 2001 is what Denver Water uses as a baseline for consumption.  Some Master Meter districts have added hundreds of taps since 2001 and will be unfairly affected by the surcharge.  Greg Fisher responded that growth has also occurred in family size of various customers and of commercial customers but the baseline usage for those customers has not been adjusted.  Tim stated that Master Meter districts have less control over usage as they provide to individual customers within their district.  Denver Water has reviewed some large customers and should do the same for Master Meter districts.  Master Meter districts have reduced by 30% in the past, but cannot do so as growth occurs in some of those districts.  After discussion a motion was approve by a vote of 8 in favor 0 opposed.  

Motion:

The CAC recommends that the Board review the surcharge for Master Meter distributors since the surcharge is based on 2001 usage and some Master Meter distributors have experienced significant growth since 2001.

Rebate Program  

A chart of possible rebate programs was distributed.  The chart was produce by the Conservation staff.  The rebate program will be proposed to the Board at the May 12, 2004 meeting.  As the CAC will not meet until after that date Russell Burton asked that each CAC member give their suggestion on the rebate program.  Larry Keesen will be meeting with Liz and will express the suggestions to Liz Gardener.  Joe Sloan will also send the suggestions to Liz.  

Larry Keesen would like to see Denver Water offer audits of existing irrigation systems.  These audits would be done by professional irrigation designers.  He would also like to see rebates offered for ET controllers.  Rebates for irrigation timers are a waste of money.  

Russell Burton would like to see a simple program with one outdoor rebate item and one indoor item.  

Michael Buchenau suggested DW focus on rebates that would save the most water not necessarily the ones that are easiest to implement.  Outdoor use is where the most water can be saved.  Programs and rebates should encourage customers to design and plant landscape that is appropriate to the climate in the Denver area.

Tim Flynn suggested the program be simple and limited to a few items such as washers and rain sensors.  

Theresa Jehn-Dellaport favored ET controllers and concurred that the program should be limited to a few items, some devices for outdoor savings and some for indoor savings.  

Jim Legas concurred the program should be focused on a few items that save water.  The ET controller, from the information he has, would be a good rebate item.  

Myrna Poticha stated she did not have enough information on the various items listed in the document.  One item, dual-flush toilets, would be a good rebated item.  Each time a person uses a dual-flush toilet they are being educated about water conservation.  These toilets are used in many other countries and should become common in the US .   

Theresa Worsham favored soil amendments, dual-flush toilets and ET controllers.  

Roberta Simonton suggested the focus be on those items that have the highest potential for water savings.  ET controllers and possibly the audits suggested by Larry.  However, she would need to have a better understanding of how that rebate would be managed.  

Action: Joe will forward CAC suggestions on the rebate program to Liz Gardener.  

Trigger to Remove the Surcharges  

Russell Burton requested that the CAC send a motion to the Board on the subject of lifting the surcharge.  The Board has not given an indication of when the surcharges would be removed.  

After discussion a motion was approve by a vote of 8 in favor 0 opposed.  

Motion:

The CAC recommends that the Board establish an objective trigger point to end surcharges, for both rates and SDCs.  

CAC business  

Future CAC involvement at Board Meetings  

Russell Burton will attend the Board meeting on April 28, 2004 .   

Michael Buchenau will attend the Board meeting on May 12, 2004 .  

The meeting was adjourned at 7:20 pm .