Contents:

the PDF file. This is a 15.2 Mbyte file and will take about 90 minutes to download at 28.8. To view and print the file, you will need to download and install the free Acrobat Reader Program.

A Hot Time in the Old Town!

Click here or on the photos to zoom in and view additional photos

Independence Day was celebrated with a variety of activities throughout the Tri-Lakes area including a Children’s Carnival and Barn Dance July 3, a 4-mile run in Palmer Lake July 4, the "Biggest Small Town Parade in Colorado" in Monument followed by the Monument Street Fair and Concert in the Park, and concluded with "The Best Small Town Fireworks Show in America" in Palmer Lake. Below: A high school marching band from Litchfield, Minnesota in the Monument parade. Photo by Chris Pollard. 

Below: Almost 2,000 runners compete at the 26th annual Palmer Lake Fun Run. Photo by Elizabeth Hacker. 

Below: Elephants from the Larkspur Renaissance Festival. Photo by Mike Wicklund.

Below: Trax Construction Company completes emergency recompaction of newly installed road base under Beacon Lite Road next to Century Place. Monument Sanitation District contracted Trax to repave 414 feet of the southbound lane and patch other failing portions of Beacon Lite Road to the north. Ownership of this section of Beacon Lite has long been disputed by the town and county. Photo by Mike Wicklund.

District Manager Mike Wicklund informed the Monument Sanitation District board at its meeting on June 21 that he had engaged Trax Construction Co. to perform asphalt repairs and patching of failing pavement on Beacon Lite Road north of Highway 105. Also, the board unanimously approved the 2006 audit.

Wicklund said that dangerous depressions, about 8 to 9 inches in depth, had developed in the southbound lane of Beacon Lite Road between Eighth Street and Highway 105. He noted that the road depressions would inevitably lead to a rollover or head-on accident if they were not repaired.

In 2000, the district had installed a major sanitary sewer collection line under the southbound lane, extending from Highway 105 to the northeast corner of Wakonda Hills. Although the warranty period for the repaved road the district had installed at that time had long expired, Wicklund said that repairing the road was "the right thing to do. It’s our sewer line and our trench."

He noted that he had asked the district’s engineering consultant, GMS Inc., to contract for emergency repairs of the failing roadway. GMS had arranged for the repairs to be performed by Trax Construction, the company that performs all emergency repairs for the city of Colorado Springs.

Wicklund noted that the Town of Monument had contracted recently to replace a storm drain under Beacon Lite Road on the north side of the Highway 105 intersection. That installation was not the cause of the southbound lane collapsing for about a quarter-mile to the north of the town’s repair.

The entire 400 feet of failed asphalt would be ground up by a milling machine. The exposed road base would be recompacted. A geologist had been hired to take core samples to determine if additional stabilization is needed to prevent another collapse. Trax would also perform patch repairs to all the other failed asphalt locations on the county’s portion of Beacon Lite Road north of Eighth Street.

Wicklund said he had consulted Monument Town Manager Cathy Green and Public Works Director Rich Landreth on his plans for the emergency repair. Wicklund noted that Landreth thought the town’s storm culvert may have contributed to the road failure and the town should be paying for part of the repair. Wicklund said the county will not contribute to the project. He said that the district needed to protect its sewer line and protect the public with an emergency repair, whether or not the town eventually contributes to the cost. He said he would have Trax excavate around the sewer line to find the cause of the failure before new asphalt was installed.

Auditor Mark Gilmore of accounting firm Bauerle and Company P.C. presented the final draft of his "clean" 2006 audit. "Basically it says that you guys passed," Gilmore told the board.

There was a lengthy discussion of how the district’s one-third ownership of the Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility, which operates as a separate public utility, is reflected in the district’s audit in terms of "profit and loss" for the district using the equity method of accounting. The facility’s differences in operating costs compared to fees collected from Monument Sanitation District, the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, and the Palmer Lake Sanitation District, as well as its capital depreciation, are reflected on a pro rata basis in the owning districts’ audits.

Each of the three special districts is an equal owner of the facility. Every aspect of the facility’s audit is also reflected in each of the three special districts’ audits.

Board President Lowell Morgan and Director Chuck Robinove said that the facility does not have profits and losses, and the use of these two words is confusing to the district’s constituents. They asserted that the facility instead has revenues and expenses. The district never receives revenue from the facility. Robinove said calling depreciation a loss might lead constituents to believe that the paper "losses" resulted from mismanagement or inattention by the board.

Gilmore said that calculation of depreciation of the districts and the facility’s capital assets are a requirement of standard generally accepted accounting principles and the state. He said the facility’s accounting credited the cash paid for the new facility administrative building first, then showed this value as an increase in capital assets in the following year, after the building was completed.

Wicklund noted that the method used by Bauerle was the industry standard and necessary for the district to be able to comply with state requirements and to be able to have bond companies issue bonds in the future if they are needed by the district. Robinove said he still didn’t understand how the district could have a profit or a loss.

Robinove also said that the board’s decision to give a $60 credit to each residential and commercial account in 2006 was not a $51,000 loss as reported in the audit. He said the board voted to decrease its revenues, not to incur a loss, and had not lost money.

Gilmore disagreed and said most constituents who might read the audit would conclude that Monument was a healthy district because the board had the funding and foresight to manage its resources well enough to give the $60 credit.

Wicklund said that the $60 credit given for the past several years comes from unplanned motor vehicle tax revenues, not forfeited monthly fees. The board did not reduce the user fees.

After a half-hour of heated discussion on this issue, a motion by Director Bob Kuchek to terminate the discussion of "profit and loss" was approved.

The board unanimously approved the 26-page audit. It will be forwarded to the state.

Gilmore said the district’s financial documentation was readily available and well-organized and that the district is in excellent financial condition. He added that it would be nice if more district audits went as well as Monument Santitation’s.

The meeting adjourned at 8:38 p.m.

**********

The next meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on July 19 in the district conference room, 130 Second St. Meetings are normally held on the third Thursday of the month. Information: 481-4886.

OCN headline makes Leno’s list

Above: OCN headline (page 19 of the June 2 issue) featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno June 25. Photo provided by Sandi Boff.

Okay, I admit it: I’m a Jay Leno junkie. I often end my day by nodding off in front of The Tonight Show. I was doing this again on Monday, June 25, but was jolted awake by what I saw. With all due respect to Jim Moore and his family, we at OCN feel we must acknowledge the national attention that I witnessed that night.

So there I was, sprawled out on the couch, tuned in to his "Headline News" segment, laughing along with Jay as he read the headlines sent to him by his adoring fans. Suddenly, the headline "Jim Moore receives first annual ‘Jim Moore Award’" pops up. This headline seemed all too familiar. I immediately got up off the couch and went over to the bookshelf where I keep a copy of OCN, and sure enough, there it was, on page 19, in bold letters. By the time I phoned publisher John Heiser the next day, he had already received several calls about it.

For those who did not read about the Jim Moore Award last month, it’s an award that was recently established by the Town of Monument and the Historic Monument Merchants Association to annually honor local business leaders. On May 21, they surprised Jim by presenting him with this award in an emotional and touching ceremony.

For many years, Jim has diligently worked to sensitively preserve and enhance commercial buildings in the Historic Monument district. His cohorts consider him a visionary and the spark that ignited the movement to preserve the historic character of old Monument. In recognition of his contributions to the community, this award will be presented annually to a business leader on April 19, Jim’s birthday.

National attention, dubious though it may be in this case, is a first for our six-year-old paper. Who could have ever imagined we’d be featured on The Tonight Show?

Below: Concrete was poured June 20 as part of the expansion of the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility. The facility is jointly owned by the Donala Water and Sanitation District and the Triview and Forest Lakes metropolitan districts. Photo provided by the Donala Water and Sanitation District

At the Donala Water and Sanitation District Board of Directors meeting June 20, the board reviewed a proposed agreement with the Academy Water and Sanitation District that would shift operations to Donala in January 2008 with potential full inclusion in 2014.

Board president Ed Houle and board members Dennis Daugherty, Dick Durham, and Dale Schendzielos were present. Director Tim Murphy was absent.

Donala General Manager Dana Duthie reviewed a recently-prepared draft intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between the two districts. He noted that the Academy district’s board had not yet reviewed it.

Under the IGA, Donala would take over all operations, administration, and maintenance of the Academy district January 1, 2008. The Academy board would remain in place to administer their debt until it is retired in 2014.

Donala would build a new lift station and shut down the Academy wastewater plant in about one year. Until that happens, Academy district residents would continue to pay their present wastewater rate of $15 per month and would pay Donala’s water rates. Once their wastewater is flowing to Donala’s plant, Academy district residents would pay Donala’s wastewater rates.

After the Academy district’s debt is retired in 2014, a vote would be held of Academy District residents to dissolve their district and be included into Donala. Donala residents would not have a vote on that inclusion.

Houle noted that under the IGA, the Academy district’s property tax mill levy funds for operation and maintenance would be transferred to Donala while the Academy district would retain their debt service mill levy funds so they can pay off their debt.

Duthie said that the goal is to complete the IGA by October so installation of the necessary infrastructure can begin.

Duthie noted that the outflows from the Academy District’s wastewater plant go into Smith Creek whereas the outflows from the wastewater plant shared by Donala and the Triview and Forest Lakes metropolitan districts go into Monument Creek. Potential water rights or protected habitat issues are being investigated.

Duthie reported that the rationing program is "working fairly well." The district has sent 75 courtesy letters to those seen to be violating the restrictions. Those in violation for more than a month will get warning letters.

He noted that some homeowners initially reported as being in violation actually had waivers because they have new sod or have sprinkler systems that cannot be programmed to exactly match the rationing program.

Duthie noted that 10 Rainbird evapotranspiration (ET) controllers have been installed with 15 more scheduled. The ET controllers calculate the amount of moisture needed to maintain optimum root structure. The pager system then broadcasts a signal to switch the ET controllers on or off. Yard signs are available for those with the ET controllers to help explain to neighbors why the sprinklers are running at times when those without the controllers would not be allowed to irrigate.

Rainbird claims the ET controllers are especially effective for large users such as golf courses and parks, and reduce water consumption by 25 to 40 percent when compared with a standard timer-operated system.

Due to problems installing the individual rain sensors, the district has decided to install a second weather station.

Duthie added that the district’s conservation plan is part of a Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority (PPRWA) initiative needed to qualify for state funding of water projects.

Joe Drew and Scott Pickett of Davidson Fixed Income Management reported that over the three months ending May 31, the yield on the $5.4 million portfolio of fixed income investments they manage for the district has underperformed Colotrust Plus 4.8 percent to 5.17 percent. Since February 2005 when Davidson started managing the portfolio, the average yield has been 3.93 percent while Colotrust has returned 4.24 percent.

Pickett noted that short-term investments are currently outperforming longer-term investments, which has disadvantaged their strategy of maintaining a one to two year weighted average maturity on the investments in the portfolio.

He estimated that the strategy being used should, over the long term, outperform Colotrust while maintaining higher credit quality. He asked the board whether they wanted to stick with the current strategy or change to shorter-term investments. Daugherty noted that previously the district’s Colotrust investments did not pay well. Houle said, "I don’t see changing horse at this stage. We need to be following a long-term stable strategy. I’m comfortable with where we are."

Following the public meeting, the board went into executive session to discuss personnel and water purchase issues.

**********

The Donala board will hold its next regular meeting Tuesday, July 18 at 1:30 p.m. at the Donala office, 15850 Holbein Drive. Meetings are normally held on the third Wednesday of each month. Information: 488-3603.

April’s discharge monitoring report indicated a fecal violation into Monument Creek at the Upper Monument Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility. Tests indicated that the total suspended solids exceeded the fecal limit allowed by the state Department of Health.

At the June 26 meeting of the Triview Metropolitan District board, district manager Larry Bishop reported that he had immediately notified the state of the violation. He said he followed up with a letter explaining that the district was aware of the situation, had corrected it, and was developing a plan to address the situation. Bishop added that this approach generally works and as long as there were no future violations, they should not be fined. However, if there is a future violation, the state may assess fines up to $25,000 per day.

Board President Steve Stephenson questioned who would be responsible for paying the fine, to which Bishop replied that it was an issue that needed clarification.

The following is a letter addressed to the board of directors dated June 4, 2007:

"The district managers of Triview Metropolitan District, Donala Water and Sanitation District and Forest Lakes Metropolitan District believe that it is timely and appropriate to review and consider amending the current Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) that governs the operation and funding of the jointly owned Upper Monument Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility.

With the passage of time and events, the IGA may no longer equitably protect each of the owners’ vested interests. For instance, it is highly unusual to fix the funding responsibility for the costs of replacements based on flows to the plant rather the capacities owned by the three Districts.

In addition, it is anticipated that changing and more stringent regulatory requirements will be imposed on the plant and compliance with those changes will be a prerequisite to issuance of a permit to operate the plant and discharge treated water. Each District is expected to share the costs of implementing these regulatory changes and therefore protecting and guaranteeing the use of the capacities owned …."

Bishop reported that as yet, no flow had emanated from the Forest Lakes area because there had been no development yet but that it owned considerable capacity and was beginning to build the first homes this month. Because the current IGA is based on flow, Forest Lakes is not contributing to the cost of expanding the treatment plant even though the plant will begin processing flows from them in a short time.

Bishop and Stephenson reported that they had recently met with Forest Lakes management to discuss amending the IGA to make it fairer to all entities. Stephenson said while they did not get a commitment, the meeting had gone well. Bishop reported that he was going to ask for an engineer’s estimate comparing replacement versus new flow cost in an effort to show Forest Lakes that it would save in the long run by participating in the expansion of the treatment facility sooner rather than later. The board directed Bishop to continue meeting with the other districts to amend the IGA in an effort to get Forest Lakes to participate in the cost for the treatment plant expansion.

Chuck Ritter of Nolte Engineers reported that design changes due to increased user expectations had increased the original budget for expansion of the wastewater treatment facility by $4 million, and the contractor’s estimate was now approximately $12 million to complete the expansion.

Ritter emphasized that the contractor had not significantly adjusted his fee even though there had been record increases in construction materials and many design changes to the original contract, the primary reasons for the cost escalation, and that these were things that the contractor has no control over. Ritter said that the reason the board elected to go with a design-build contract was because there were many unknowns. He reminded the board that it was a difficult site to expand on, they had environmental issues to deal with, and once the expansion was under way, the owners identified additional needs and added on to the original contract, all of which translates into more dollars. As an example, he pointed out the two electrical generators that were added to meet current code requirements that alone increased the contract by a half million dollars.

Stephenson said that he was bothered by the fact that the contractor had previously reported to the board that inflationary costs were largely responsible for the increases whereas it now appears that additional design demands and a change in treatment process were the reason for the overages — all of which may have been avoided if they had been given the right information.

Stephenson added that he didn’t think the increased cost for the change in treatment processes was merited because it only increased the capacity to treat wastewater by 84,500 gallons per day. Stephenson questioned if the contractor bore any liability for the $4 million overage. Director Julie Glenn asked if the electrical additions wouldn’t fall under errors and omissions since they were required by code, suggesting that since it was a design-build contract it should have initially been identified. Stephenson noted that the increased costs were not included in the state loan, so the district is liable for its portion of the overages and is feeling the pinch.

Bishop noted that a design-build contract allows flexibility for a contractor to fix unanticipated problems that become add-ons to the contract. He reported that all of the add-ons since August 2006, although financially painful, were necessary and approved by the board, adding that he thought the contractor was acting responsibly and would not be liable for any of the overages. Bishop said that the contractor would address the board at a future meeting to review the cost overruns.

Glenn asked if there was any way to have monthly budget updates so the board wouldn’t be hit with such drastic increases. Stephenson suggested that the board should be presented with a monthly budget tracking money spent versus percentage of project completed.

Bishop reported that he had sent a letter to the Town of Monument and developers requesting that applications for building permits for commercial projects include square footage of all impervious surfaces, the square footage of building footprints, and square footage of commercial space so that the district could calculate impact fees.

The board approved an intergovernmental agreement to provide office services to Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) #3 (approved by voters for road construction in 2006) for Home Place Ranch. Bishop reported that the district will be paid $40,000 per year to provide organization and office services, including things like preparing agendas, meeting minutes, arranging for audits, and other administrative services. He said Triview also has been asked to provide management services to Promontory Pointe (TMD #4). Bishop emphasized that the $40,000 agreement did not include any maintenance of roads, parks, or landscaping. Stephenson asked if the roads would carry a warranty to which Bishop replied they would have a two year warranty.

Bishop announced that the district had reached a settlement agreement to condemn a small parcel of property owned by Miles Grant that the district needed to complete Jackson Creek. The dispute was over the value of the land and the trial was to begin July 2. A negotiated settlement had been reached, but the board was required to sign the agreement by July 3. Stephenson said he needed more time to review the documents before he recommended approval, and he asked that it be taken up in executive session.

Bishop reported that he felt better about reporting drinking water pumping statistics because they were now at 97 percent accountability. He noted that the district can now account for individual uses such as household, commercial, and irrigation. Stephenson commented that they should be getting credit or money for the water that flows down Monument Creek after being treated at the Upper Monument Creek plant.

Monument Ridge: The overlot grading plan has been approved. Work on the offsite utilities will begin soon. The three tenants at Monument Ridge are Walgreen’s, Chase Bank, and a Fairfield Inn hotel. McDonald’s is scheduled to submit plans this summer. The site for a second hotel may be revised to include two two-story office buildings with a restaurant parcel.

Copper Heights: Appears to be on hold at this time due to the slowdown in residential construction. Copper Terrace (multi-family development adjacent to Copper Heights) has received preliminary review comments, and the project has currently been put on hold by the developer.

Sanctuary Pointe: Discussions between the town and Classic Homes regarding certain terms of the annexation agreement have recently taken place. The sanitary sewer line in Baptist Road that will serve this development will be installed in the near future to coincide with the roadway pavement construction.

Promontory Pointe: Resubmitted a revised plat and site plans for minor changes. John Laing Homes began initial grading for Phase 1 in April. Utilities for the first phase have been completed. A traffic signal is planned to be installed at the intersection of Gleneagle Drive and Baptist Road later this summer to coincide with the opening of the first models. The installation will be completed as part of the Baptist Road widening project and will be funded by BRRTA and Triview Metropolitan Districts #2, #3, and #4.

Home Place Ranch: Several issues remain to be resolved with the developer and Jackson Creek Land Co. regarding sewer line design, roadway connectivity, and a turn lane on Higby Road. Erosion and sediment control plans are being reviewed by Triview and the town.

Monument Marketplace: G & J Liquor Store is nearing completion and has requested a temporary certificate of occupancy to open the store while the final site-related details are completed. The clock tower and plaza is under construction. The site plan for Carl’s Jr. was approved and construction documents are under review. The lube/oil facility and Checker Auto Parts are under review but the carwash will not be included. Construction is underway on two of the three mid-size box stores that will house a Staples and a PetSmart. A stand-alone building for a tae kwon do facility is under administrative review. Final site plans and construction documents are being reviewed for a Texas Roadhouse and a KFC fast-food restaurant.

Financial report: Dale Hill reported that all expenses were in line and the enterprise payment had been made but added that revenues are sluggish because housing permits have fallen off.

Executive session: The board went into executive session at 5:30 to negotiate property matters. The board resumed its regular session and signed the agreement to acquire the property owned by Miles Grant.

On June 12, the Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility Joint Use Committee (JUC) learned that the facility may be given more time to address solutions to tighter restrictions proposed by the state on allowable copper concentrations in the effluent the facility discharges to Monument Creek. While copper concentrations have caused the most concern for the past few years, ammonia concentrations in treated effluent are also becoming a higher interest item for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Facility Manager Bill Burks said the facility is doing very well in treating copper and ammonia.

The Tri-Lakes facility operates as an independent public utility. It is jointly owned, in equal one-third shares, by Monument Sanitation District, Palmer Lake Sanitation District, and Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District. The committee has three members, one director from each of the special district boards.

Several board members from each of the three owning districts attended this meeting due to its substantial financial implications.

On May 1, the state notified the Tri-Lakes facility staff that the facility’s current restrictions on the amount of potentially dissolved copper allowed in treated wastewater might be made far more stringent on Jan. 1, 2008. At the previous JUC meeting on May 8, the members had unanimously approved a resolution giving environmental attorney Tad Foster and consultant engineer Mike Rothberg of RTW Engineering full discretion to respond to the dramatic proposed change to reduce the state’s maximum allowable level of dissolved copper in the facility’s treated effluent. The Tri-Lakes facility was designed and constructed by RTW.

Burks noted that the quality of the effluent substantially exceeds the quality of the creek’s water at the point of Tri-Lakes’ discharge. During the dry portions of the year, there is little creek flow other than this effluent at the point of discharge.

The proposed tighter copper restrictions could require nearly $2 million in new capital investment for purchase and installation of copper removal equipment at the Tri-Lakes facility and about $500,000 per year to operate the new equipment. The allowed concentrations of copper in discharged effluent are already so small that they are difficult to measure accurately.

This tighter copper restriction may also apply to the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility after it is expanded. The regional facility serves the Donala Water and Sanitation District and the Triview Metropolitan District, and will serve the Forest Lakes Metropolitan District when its operations begin.

Discharge permits are issued for five-year intervals. The current facility discharge permit expires at the end of 2009. The average and peak concentrations allowed by the state in the first two years, 2005-2006, were a monthly average of no higher than 12.0 parts per billion and a single measurement of no more than 17.6 PPB each month. When the current discharge permit was originally issued, the Tri-Lakes facility’s copper limits for 2007-2009 were to have been an average no higher than 8.7 PPB and no single measurement in any month of more than 13.0 PPB.

There were two single copper readings higher than 17.6 PPB early in this five-year discharge permit period. There were also difficulties in getting accurate, consistent measurements of such small quantities of copper in each of the effluent samples, a problem that has yet to be resolved. Improved sampling techniques and having samples split and tested simultaneously by several testing companies have shown that these two higher-than-acceptable readings may have been erroneous. No excursions above the limits have been recorded since.

Based on this data and other research, the JUC sought relief from the tighter restrictions for 2007-2009. The state granted a three-year waiver for 2007-2009, which increased the facility’s copper maximums to a monthly average of 24.8 PPB and a single reading maximum of 36.4 PPB, roughly triple the original limits for the last three years of the permit.

In return for the three-year waiver, the committee and staff engaged Rothberg and environmental expert Steve Canton of GEI Consultants to perform original research on copper toxicity and treatment options that has cost several hundred thousand dollars to date. Rothberg and Foster had previously expressed their belief that higher limits were warranted by the results of their research. (See www.ourcommunitynews.org/v7n6.htm#juc for more in-depth background information on copper limits for Colorado wastewater treatment facilities.)

On May 1, the state Health Department reversed its position on the past two years of the Tri-Lakes facility copper waiver and said the new monthly copper limits for 2008-2009 might be as low as 8.0 PPB for the monthly average and 11.7 PPB for a single reading each month. The facility in its current configuration cannot meet this standard and would be subject to fines of up to $10,000 per day.

Current testing methods cannot detect copper concentrations below 5.0 PPB. Calibrated test samples of 10.0 PPB that have been randomly sent by the Tri-Lakes facility staff to state-approved testing labs still return reported results ranging from an undetectable level of less than 5 PPB to as high as 21 PPB. This variability makes the extremely low copper report limits proposed by the state very difficult to comply with, even if the samples never exceed the maximum allowable copper concentrations.

At the May 8 JUC meeting, Canton said that his study results had been determined to be somewhat inconclusive by the state and that the Health Department appeared ready to mandate a different scientific methodology and technical procedure for determining copper toxicity limits in Colorado streams like Monument Creek.

Burks, Foster, and Rothberg presented their case for a waiver for the facility at a Colorado Water Quality Control Commission hearing in Pueblo on June 11. Burks said the preliminary result of this presentation was that the commissioners now appeared to be back in favor of leaving the current waiver’s maximum allowable copper values (24.8 PPB and 36.4 PPB) in place through the end of 2009.

Burks noted, however, that the Tri-Lakes facility’s staff and experts will likely be asked to do more research using different methodologies and conduct more frequent effluent sample testing. Canton will present the results of his redirected toxicity studies to the commissioners at the end of 2007 and 2008 at the commission’s annual "temporary modification review" hearings.

Burks reviewed the facility’s Discharge Monitoring Report for May. Ammonia concentrations were extremely low for May, with a 30-day average of 1.2 parts per million and a maximum daily reading of only 1.9 parts per million. Burks noted that potentially dissolved copper readings for May were extremely low, with a 30-day average and a maximum daily reading of only 7.0 PPB. The low concentrations were achieved even though one copper test measurement for Palmer Lake influent in May was 285 PPB.

Burks said, "We did a lot of tweaking. It really does help having operators here on weekends. They can make changes as needed" every day of the month now.

Recently, the facility staff was expanded to three certified operators. When there were only two certified operators on staff, the need for someone to be on call 24 hours per day meant that there was no regular weekend coverage at the facility. Significant changes in the dynamic wastewater processing system could occur during weekends when no operators were present. Now the balance of the aerobic and anaerobic digestion treatment processes is monitored daily, allowing more immediate adjustments when conditions and plant loading change, which leads to higher quality effluent being discharged to Monument Creek.

Flows during May, a wet month, averaged above 2 million gallons per day, peaking at 2.85 million. Woodmoor’s flows into the facility were "particularly high" in May, indicating a lot of infiltration of groundwater into the district’s sewer lines and/or stormwater into leaking manhole lids. Burks noted that Woodmoor’s average flows are starting to decline as the rainy season peak appears to have passed.

Burks reported that lightning strikes had destroyed the transmitters for flow meters that remotely measure the inflows for the southern parts of Monument’s and Woodmoor’s systems. Repairs totaled about $8,000. The data from these flow meters are used to calculate the amounts billed to each of the districts for their proportional share of treatment costs.

A separate lightning strike on a different day damaged the facility’s pH and temperature meter. This meter had already been replaced.

Burks suggested filing insurance claims to cover part of the costs for transmitter repairs and the meter replacement. The deductible for each of the two lightning claims is $2,500. He also suggested upgrading the facility’s lightning protection. The committee approved his suggestions unanimously.

The committee also unanimously approved the final 2006 audit for the facility prepared by Reynolds, Henrie, and Associates of Denver. The final audit will be filed with the state.

The meeting adjourned at 10:46 a.m.

**********

The next meeting was unanimously rescheduled to July 17 at 10 a.m. at the facility’s conference room, 16510 Mitchell Ave. Meetings are normally held the second Tuesday of the month. Information: 481-4053.

At the June 14 meeting, consultant engineer Mike Rothberg of Rothberg, Tamburini, and Winsor Engineering briefed the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District board on the status of the state’s proposal to further modify effluent copper standards for the Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility. District Manager Phil Steininger briefed the board on consultant URS Dam Engineering’s evaluation of the condition of the dam and the staff’s recommendations regarding routine Woodmoor Lake dam repairs. The board unanimously approved a contract for engineering design by URS.

Director Benny Nasser represents the district on the Joint Use Committee (JUC), which serves as the board for the Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility. Woodmoor and the Monument and Palmer Lake Sanitation Districts are equal owners of the facility. There is one board member from each of the districts on the three-person committee.

He reported on the administrative actions taken by the committee on June 12.

Nasser noted that Plant Manager Bill Burks had obtained an Army Corps of Engineers 404 permit to shore up the western bank of Monument Creek near the discharge point for the facility as well as a temporary easement from the land owner, Ramona Smith. However, no work can be performed until November because the degraded bank is in protected Preble’s mouse habitat. President Jim Taylor signed the easement agreement. The other two district board presidents had already signed the easement form.

Nasser asked Rothberg, who did not attend the JUC meeting on June 12, to discuss what had happened during the June 11 Water Quality Control Commission hearing in Pueblo on the facility’s request for a waiver of tightened copper concentration restrictions proposed by the state. Rothberg, Burks, and the facility’s environmental attorney, Tad Foster, presented evidence to the commissioners on why enforcement of the proposed tighter copper restrictions should be delayed.

Rothberg began his presentation by noting that the original goal of their efforts was to get the "underlying copper standards" changed. On May 1, the Environmental Protection Agency issued rules calling for new technical approaches for determining how much copper could be allowed in Monument Creek discharges without being toxic to aquatic and plant life in the stream. The new standards would not provide the relief Foster had requested to allow the facility to continue operations without expensive modifications and much higher operating costs. The new proposed standards are for 2008-2009, the final two years of the current facility discharge permit.

After the consultants reviewed a number of alternatives, Foster proposed an extension of the existing temporary three-year waiver for another five years to complete toxicity research to the Water Quality Control Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. This alternative to conduct new redirected original research based on the new variant of the EPA’a biotic ligand model was not accepted. Rothberg said Foster was, however, able to negotiate a settlement with the division on June 8. The settlement allows a delay in applying the new EPA standards until the end of 2009, restoring the three-year waiver previously approved in late 2006.

This permit waiver negotiated by Foster and Rothberg last year was to have lasted for the final three years of the permit, 2007-2009. It allowed monthly average and peak copper maximum concentrations to be three times higher than the original tightened standards for the final three years of the discharge permit. The waiver was based on original research for determining higher allowable copper concentrations based on EPA’s approved water effects ratios applied to the biotic ligand model. These water effects ratios were based primarily on how varying levels of pH and water hardness in the stream increases or decreases the toxicity of the dissolved copper compounds added by Tri-Lakes facility effluent. If stream water has a neutral pH level, neither acid nor base, higher levels of copper can be tolerated by aquatic life as the water becomes harder. Multipliers for allowable copper levels based on the relative level of stream water hardness and acidity were being developed by the consultants based on toxicity studies of aquatic life found in Monument Creek.

Rothberg noted that a multiplier of about three times the copper levels originally proposed by the EPA in 2000 were being justified by the Tri-Lakes facility’s environmental expert’s experiments. However, the EPA has now decided to abandon this water effects ratio methodology and impose tighter restrictions at the beginning of 2008. Foster argued that this did not give the facility time to study the validity of the new standards or implement any treatment changes by the end of 2007.

Rothberg said the lowest monthly peak individual sample reading standard that the plant can probably meet at the present time is about 28 parts per billion (PPB) of copper during peak influent loading. The new copper standard proposed by the state is 8 PPB on average and 11 PPB for an individual sample. Copper levels below 5 PPB are undetectable by approved testing methods. Errors in readings up to 100 percent or more by approved testing labs are common for these low concentrations.

Rothberg noted that Foster also argued that the EPA did not follow its own rules for lengthy hearing processes that allow several years of testing and comment by those being regulated before a new standard can be formally imposed.

Repeated testing of Monument Creek water where it crosses Baptist Road could not detect any copper a short distance downstream from the Tri-Lakes and Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facilities. The latter facility has no restrictions on the amount of copper it discharges to Monument Creek because of its considerably smaller capacity. However, after the ongoing expansion of that facility is completed, the state will impose copper limits and require monthly testing of effluent.

Rothberg said he and environmental expert Steve Canton of GEI Consultants will immediately begin a "translator study" on how copper in the facility’s effluent is dispersed in Monument Creek. The study will try to determine why no copper can be found in Monument Creek downstream of the Tri-Lakes facility. Canton has performed all the facility’s toxicity studies and testing since 2004, when copper first became a problem.

Once the multipliers for each type of Colorado aquatic life are determined, Canton can then determine the mix of species in Monument Creek and calculate a multiplier for the region’s slightly hard water that protects all life forms using statistical analysis. This research has cost about $250,000 to date. It will take years and more expense to do new toxicity tests based on the alternative EPA standard model for copper. Rothberg noted that several other Colorado districts – Fort Collins, Boulder, Louisville, and Security – presented similar scientific information to the commissioners on their copper problems as well.

Rothberg said that the Water Quality Control Commission had verbally agreed to accept the two-year waiver Foster had negotiated with the Water Quality Control Division on June 8, but it had not yet "formally approved in writing" the revised language in the settlement. Now that the water quality standards issue appears to have been settled for the short term, Rothberg and Foster must do the administrative work necessary to make sure the facility’s discharge permit is changed before Dec. 31 to reflect the new waiver settlement.

Rothberg said he would begin working with the engineering consultants of the other affected districts to pool their resources, share costs, and conduct coordinated sampling programs and translator studies for their mutual benefit over the next two years.

District President Taylor asked if the water commissioners considered the well-documented accuracy problems testing labs have had in measuring copper concentrations accurately. "Not really, we’re not getting a lot of traction on that issue," Rothberg replied. He said the accuracy problem was a Water Quality Control Division permit-writing and enforcement issue. The commissioners only hear testimony and write regulations. Split samples of calibrated test samples submitted to state-approved labs have produced results with more than 100 percent error rates between the two identical samples.

Nasser, a retired professional chemist, said that Rothberg and Foster still needed to document the extensive research, the high costs borne by Woodmoor, Monument, and Palmer Lake, and the continuing sampling measurement errors for future commission hearings and dealings with the division.

Rothberg stated that no one knows precisely how the facility removes copper. It is very effective in removing 88-92 percent of the copper unless the influent levels are very high or plant treatment efficiency is reduced. Furthermore, no one knows why the influent copper levels from the three owning districts vary so greatly and randomly each month. The current high levels of dilution caused by the wet winter and spring in Woodmoor’s influent don’t appear to help the biological treatment processes used by the facility.

Without relief from the new standards, Rothberg said the facility would have a 30-40 percent violation rate, facing potential fines of $10,000 per day for copper levels that can barely be measured.

There was consensus among the board members that none of the three owning districts can allow new metal processing plants to discharge their wastes to the Tri-Lakes facility. Synthes, for example, has never been allowed to discharge any metallic wastes to the Monument system.

Rothberg said the proposed tighter statewide copper standards will be "a nightmare" in the near future as they begin to affect discharging districts on the South Platte River, Cache la Poudre River, and several high mountain streams.

Steininger noted that removing trace quantities of other heavy metals (such as silver, mercury, and cadmium) will become an issue in the long term, compounding the copper problem. While the source of copper appears to be residential water pipes, dealing with the possible sources for the other heavy metals, natural and industrial, may require more direct intervention by the special districts.

Rothberg said that Woodmoor adds chemicals to its drinking water to control residential copper pipe corrosion. Monument, Palmer Lake, and Triview Metropolitan District do not treat their water for pH, hardness, or corrosion control to help the Tri-Lakes facility meet the copper standard. He suggested that the JUC consider asking these other water purveyors to initiate corrosion control procedures in their drinking water. While adding caustic soda to control the aggressiveness of their drinking water would not help the facility meet an average standard of 8 PPB, it could make the difference in meeting an average standard of 24 PPB — at far less cost to the towns’ and Triview’s customers than installing, operating, and maintaining new copper removal systems.

Taylor said the standards imposed by the EPA and the state Health Department seem to be arbitrary for each wastewater treatment facility. Rothberg replied that each portion of every stream is categorized by several criteria and copper limits are not arbitrary numbers. Each category has its own table of standards for water quality that in turn determine discharge permit restrictions. Frequently, the Tri-Lakes facility’s effluent is the entire flow of Monument Creek, leading to the proposed imposition of new, tighter standards for "effluent dominated waters." Rothberg said the predictions of the new model being proposed "are wrong" and that the consultants need to show that to the state with new research.

Next month, Fort Collins and Boulder will seek the same type of settlement and waiver relief as Tri-Lakes now has obtained. Their copper standards allow much higher concentrations based on these tables for their bigger plants and industrial loads, but those two towns cannot meet their individual standards either.

Nasser concluded the JUC report by noting that Woodmoor’s flows into the facility averaged 1.7 million gallons per day. Palmer Lake’s average flow was 315,000 gallons per day and Monument’s was 259,000.

Steininger opened the discussion of the Woodmoor Lake dam projects noting that this public presentation was the staff’s first step in sharing information with the community through newspaper coverage regarding planned lowering of the Woodmoor Lake level. Information will also be published on the district’s Web site. He said a public meeting may be held if there is enough citizen interest in maximizing lake storage capacity and the planned routine maintenance of the dam.

Preliminary studies on expanding the lake’s capacity by excavation have shown that it would cost $20,000 to $35,000 per acre-foot (about 326,000 gallons), an amount that is "pretty costly" for the benefit. No decision has been made on excavation.

The district’s drain valve for emptying the lake is in the deepest part of the lake. The discharge pipe runs from the bottom of the lake through the bottom of the dam, emerging at the current spillway. The 40-year-old corrugated discharge pipe is galvanized and is beginning to corrode. He said it was a good time to make routine repairs since the district will now be increasing the use of surface water stored in the lake.

URS had been tasked at the February board meeting to investigate the condition of the dam’s structures and to develop a recommendation for repairs with cost estimates. Board members received a May 31 written report from URS engineer John Sikora that documented URS’s findings and recommendations:

The URS report also contained a proposal for conducting an engineering design study. It did not address increasing lake capacity or providing a hydro-dam "temporary dead pool" for keeping fish. Steininger said that having fish at the bottom of the 50-foot-deep lake might have the undesirable side effect of attracting fishermen.

Steininger also noted:

Shaffer discussed the two-year drainage plan, noting that the lake will be drained in a manner so that it can still provide surface water for the 2007 and 2008 summer peak demand periods before it is completely emptied. The lake, even when full, cannot meet all district demands. If the engineering design plans are accepted by the board, the district will begin draining the lake in a few months.

The district’s attorney, Erin Smith, asked that the construction schedule be amended to allow her time to review the URS design study contract. The engineering study will cost up to an additional $109,500.

Steininger said the staff needed the board’s review and approval before calls from constituents start to come in regarding aesthetics of the drained lake. There will also be safety concerns when a layer of ice forms and water continues to be pumped out, creating a void under the ice that could collapse if people walk on it. Warning signs will be posted to alert residents of the hazard.

Excess effluent credits will be purchased from adjacent Triview, Donala, and Monument in spring 2009 to maximize the rate of refilling the lake with available stream flows after the repairs are completed.

The board unanimously approved the final draft of the 2006 audit presented by Tom Jaspers of Reynolds, Henrie, and Associates. The audit will be forwarded to the state.

Treasurer Jim Wyss reported that tap and use fees collected to date in 2007 are running behind the pro rata amounts in the budget and historical payment rates as well. Wyss said that the board may wish to "adjust the budget" in August if fee collections remain below the amount projected. If all fee payments were evenly distributed throughout each month of the year, revenues collected by May 31 should have been about 42 percent of the total. Actual percentages collected versus historical percentages for the first five months that Wyss discussed were:

"Next month, I will be providing a revised midyear update on the budget," Steininger said. He added that a few budget adjustments might have to be made, this being a "wet" year and people using less water.

The discussion of Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority negotiations was deferred to the executive session.

Sales of excess effluent to the Town of Monument will be less now that the town has filled its lake. Future sales of excess effluent to the town will be for replacing evaporated water.

Directors Jim Wyss and Elizabeth Hacker said they had observed some instances of slightly brown water. Water Supervisor Randy Gillette said that all constituents should report such episodes to him immediately. The district is using more surface water than in the past, which requires more treatment and makes these episodes more likely. The annual rehabilitation program for sanitary sewer lines has been completed.

Shaffer reported steady progress on design of water and sewer lines for Palmer Ridge High School and the YMCA. The water tap fee for the high school stadium renovations was about $57,000. The water tap for the new high school will be about $238,000.

A final design for the new non-potable water system for irrigating fields at both Lewis-Palmer School District 38 high schools will be determined in the near future. The benefit to the school district will be lower irrigation costs. The benefit to Woodmoor will be lowered demand on its drinking water treatment plant.

Shaffer said that monitoring of the south outfall of the sanitary sewer system for infiltration and inflow with eight sensor systems had been completed. Monitoring of the north outfall lines was under way. Infiltration is groundwater entering the sewer lines through leaks. Inflow is stormwater leaking into loose manhole covers. This additional water has to be treated by the wastewater facility, increasing the costs of treatment to Woodmoor. Shaffer will analyze the data and recommend repair options for the district’s sewer system.

The board went into executive session at 3:15 p.m. to discuss negotiations. After returning to the regular session, the board unanimously approved the URS engineering design contract, subject to Smith’s review of professional liability coverage by URS, and then adjourned.

**********

The next meeting will be held at 1 p.m. on July 12 in the district conference room, 1845 Woodmoor Dr. Meetings are normally held the second Thursday of the month. Information: 488-2525.

Click here or on the photo to zoom in and view additional photos

Below:  Ben Lee proposes to the Forest View Acres Water District board of directors formation of volunteer committees. Seated at the table (L to R) Lisa Johnson, SDMS manager and directors Barbara Reed-Polatty, Eckehart Zimmerman, Ann Bevis, Rich Crocker, and Chris Monsen.Twenty-four residents attended the meeting June 28. Photo by John Heiser.

In February, water produced by the Forest View Acres Water District (FVAWD) won the competition for best tasting water at the Colorado Rural Water Association (CRWA) 26th Annual State Conference held in Colorado Springs.

In May, the water system suffered major failures that left some residents without water for up to five days. During the outage, water delivered to residents may have been contaminated.

The FVAWD Board of Directors consists of Ann Bevis, Rich Crocker, Chris Monsen, Eckehart Zimmerman, and President Barbara Reed-Polatty.

The board held its regular monthly meeting June 28. Toward the end of that meeting resident Ben Lee, speaking on behalf of a group of concerned residents outlined formation of a series of committees to help the board address the many issues facing the district. He said the district’s bylaws and state statutes allow for the formation of citizen workshops or committees to make recommendations to the board. He noted that many qualified individuals live in the district and are willing to help. He proposed that teams be formed in five disciplines: Communications, management, engineering, finance, and contracting. The teams would work under the guidance and direction of the members of the board. He concluded by saying that a kick-off meeting will be held July 10, 6 p.m. at the Tri-Lakes district station 1, 18650 Highway 105 and invited the board members to attend.

Bevis said, "I am so glad to see people coming forward with something positive to contribute."

The board decided to issue public notices of the meeting as a special board meeting so that any number of board members could attend.

The district has retained Special District Management Services, Inc. (SDMS) as its administrative manager. Lisa Johnson, SDMS district manager, served as secretary at the meeting.

Mike Bacon of Community Solutions, Inc. (CSI) is the district’s contract operations manager. Deborah McCoy, President of SDMS, is a part owner of CSI.

The district water supply consists of a surface water plant and two wells, one in the Arapahoe aquifer and one in the Dawson aquifer. Only the Arapahoe well is currently being used.

The water is treated with chlorine, pumped through 750 feet of 6-inch water line, and stored in a 250,000-gallon steel storage tank. The water is then distributed through 36,000 feet of distribution lines that vary from one inch to eight inches in diameter.

ASCG, Inc., the district’s engineering firm, determined that the water treatment facilities are in good condition, the water tank is in fair condition, and the distribution system is in fair to poor condition. ASCG has prepared a list of proposed improvements. (For the detailed cost breakdown see OCN June 3, 2006 "Forest View Acres Water District, May 25: Board ponders financing $6.2 million for improvements" posted at www.ourcommunitynews.org/v6n6.htm#fvawd).

In November, residents voted down a ballot measure that would have permitted the district to impose a property tax of up to 32 mills and issue bonds to pay for improvements to the system. At the same election, voters approved a ballot measure authorizing a property tax of up to 5 mills for administrative and operational expenses.

The district’s financial statements showed that as of the end of May, the total of all the district’s funds stood at $324,065, which is up $39,583 from $284,482 at the beginning of the year.

For the first five months of the year, management expenses totaled $26,234 (33 percent of the $80,000 budgeted for the year). Operator expenses totaled $19,996 (33.6 percent of the $59,600 budgeted for the year). Legal expenses totaled $12,634 (84.2 percent of the $15,000 budgeted for the year). As of the end of May, expenses could normally be expected to have reached 41.7 percent (five twelfths) of the amounts budgeted for the year.

The operations report for May showed that the district’s surface plant produced 1.6 million gallons, averaging 38 gallons per minute over 29 days. The district’s well in the Arapahoe aquifer produced 147,278 gallons, averaging 51 gallons per minute over 2 days. The net monthly production was 1.75 million gallons.

Water sales for August totaled 1.21 million gallons.

The calculated net loss from the system during May was 28.4 percent of total system use.

The board unanimously approved $1,500 to locate all the remaining valves in the system. Bacon noted that many of the valves are under the asphalt roadways and buried 6-8 inches.

Zimmerman expressed concern that the pipe that broke in May is being operated beyond its specification and is likely to break again. Crocker noted that the pipe was leaking 4 gallons per minute two years ago.

Bacon said the recently repaired transmission line is rated for 100 psi and is being operated at 180 psi. He said it should be replaced with a 200 psi line.

Resident Penny Nevins added that the line is more than 10 years old.

Bevis said, "My concern is that we don’t have a master plan in place."

Crocker said he is also concerned that the tank has not been inspected recently.

Reed-Polatty noted that residents have asked questions about the fire hydrants that are served by the district.

Crocker noted that the district rules and regulations say the district is not responsible for the operation of the hydrants. He added that the memorandum of understanding between the district and the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District was never signed by the Tri-Lakes district.

Bacon asked that if the hydrants are to be flushed and tested that the work be done by the water district to ensure it does not disrupt system operations.

Johnson said she would check with the district’s attorney Paul Rufien to see what legal requirements apply.

McCoy added, "If there is a hydrant there, people expect it to work. The district needs to get them operational."

Johnson announced that the Town of Monument declined to bid on the district’s request for a proposal for the town to take over operation of the district’s system. She said she would contact the town to try and learn the reasons for the decision.

Johnson said the total cost of the supply line repairs in May came to $47,072 including the cost for the water from the Palmer Lake water system.

She said the total cost for the 2006 election was $12,877.

Johnson noted that a district Web site could be a simple bulletin board with meeting announcements or could be expanded into something more elaborate. She added that CSI has staff that could do the work for $80 per hour.

Lee noted that www.fvawd.org is currently maintained by volunteer Dave Weber and carries information about the district.

The board decided to postpone a decision and discuss it further at the next work session.

The following slate of officers was unanimously elected: Crocker, president; Reed-Polatty, treasurer; and Johnson, secretary.

**********

The kick-off meeting regarding formation of volunteer committees is scheduled for July 10, 6 p.m. at the Tri-Lakes district station 1, 18650 Highway 105.

A board workshop is scheduled for July 12, 9 a.m. at the SDMS office, 141 Union Blvd., Suite 150, in Lakewood.

The regular board meetings are usually held on the fourth Thursday of each month. The next meeting is scheduled for July 26, 5:30 p.m. at Tri-Lakes district station 1, 18650 Highway 105 (near the bowling alley). Those wishing to attend should check the date, time, and location by calling the SDMS at (800) 741-3254 or 488-2110.

At the June 27 meeting of the Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Rescue Authority Board of Directors, it was announced that a court hearing would be held July 6 on the proposed merger of the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District and the Woodmoor-Monument Fire Protection District.

The court hearing offers the public an opportunity to comment upon the proposed dissolution of the Woodmoor-Monument district and inclusion of the area served by the Woodmoor-Monument district into the Tri-Lakes district. If the judge is satisfied that all required procedures have been followed and issues addressed, an election will be scheduled at which residents of the Woodmoor-Monument district can vote on the plan. If voters approve the merger, the boards have agreed to rename the combined entity the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Protection District.

Charlie Pocock, president of the Tri-Lakes district, noted that public notices of the hearing have been published and posted and the Town of Monument and El Paso County have approved statements of no objection. He said the election will likely be scheduled for October 2 and, if approved, the merger will be completed January 1, 2008.

Chief Robert Denboske reported that the Insurance Services Organization (ISO) has completed its review of the fire authority and improved the authority’s rating to 3 within the Town of Monument, 4 for those parts of the authority that are within 1000 feet of a hydrant and 5 miles of a fire station, and 9 elsewhere. The prior rating was 5 within 1000 feet of a hydrant and 5 miles of a fire station and 9 elsewhere. According to ISO data, only 14 percent of fire departments in the United States achieve an ISO rating of 4 or better. Only 5 percent achieve a rating of 3 or better. Many insurance companies use the ISO rating in determining policyholder’s premiums.

The ISO considers various factors some of which are outside the fire department’s control such as municipal water delivery systems, special district water delivery systems, 911 dispatch center capabilities, and automatic or mutual aid agreements with nearby departments. ISO conducts an in-depth review of the fire department and its capabilities including fire fighting apparatus and fire suppression equipment, daily staffing levels, communication capabilities, station locations, training and equipment maintenance records, and organizational structure.

Denboske added that the authority is looking to address areas where the ISO noted improvements are needed.

Fire Authority Treasurer John Hildebrandt said the authority has received 60.3 percent of expected property tax revenue anticipated for the year.

As of May 31, ambulance revenues were $227,584, which is 60.7 percent of the $375,000 projected for the year. Hildebrandt added that he is projecting that ambulance revenues will reach $450,000 or more for the year.

Specific ownership taxes of $144,759 lagged at 37.8 percent of the budgeted amount for the year. At the end of May, revenue and expenditures would be expected to have reached 41.7 percent (five twelfths) of the yearly amounts.

As of May 31, total revenue stood at $2.1 million or 54.3 percent of the anticipated $3.9 million for the year.

Total expenses stood at $1.4 million, 36.3 percent of the budgeted total for the year. Hildebrandt noted that due to the merger and issues regarding the construction of Station 2, legal expenses totaled $11,806, which is 196.8 percent of the budgeted $6,000.

He said that overall, the finances are "looking pretty darn good."

Julia Stone of Bondi & Co. presented the results of her audit of the authority’s financial statements. She said, "The authority and the two districts received an unqualified opinion, which is the best you can get."

She noted that there was a net increase in fund balances of $251,461 during the year, all reports were filed on time, and there were no violations of state budget law.

Stone recommended some additional internal controls and other procedural changes. Denboske said that most of her recommendations had been implemented.

The following slate was unanimously elected: Charlie Pocock, president; Tim Miller, vice president; John Hildebrandt, treasurer; and Rod Wilson, secretary.

At the completion of the public meeting, the Tri-Lakes district board members then went into an executive session to discuss legal issues regarding Station 2.

**********

The Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Rescue Authority board normally meets the fourth Wednesday of each month following the meetings of the boards of the Tri-Lakes Fire Protections District and the Woodmoor-Monument Fire Protection District. The next meeting will be held July 25 at Tri-Lakes district Station 1, 18650 Highway 105 (near the bowling alley).

For more information, call Chief Denboske at 481-2312 or visit www.tri-lakesfire.com.

Donald Wescott FPD receives new pumper

Below: Donald Wescott Fire Protection District’s new 1,250 gallon pumper on the day in mid-June when it was delivered by Central States Fire Apparatus of Lyons, SD, a division of Rosenbauer America. Rosenbauer is the world’s largest manufacturer of fire engines. Local dealer Max Fire Apparatus is currently making final installation of new equipment racks and lettering in Castle Rock prior to the pumper being placed in operation at Station 1 later in July. Photo provided by the Donald Wescott FPD.

Below: The fact finding committee presented its results to the school board June 14. Clockwise from the left: Superintendent Ray Blanch; board members Gail Wilson, Dee Dee Eaton, Jes Raintree, Stephen Plank, and LouAnn Dekleva; committee member Jim Wyss. Committee member Ken Emry also participated in the presentation. Photo by John Heiser

At the Lewis-Palmer District 38 School Board workshop June 14, the board received a presentation from a special committee charged with developing alternative approaches for funding operation of Palmer Ridge High School (PRHS) and improving teacher recruitment and retention. Committee members Ken Emry and Jim Wyss made the presentation.

The committee determined that, assuming program elements at PRHS are comparable to those at Lewis-Palmer High School, the additional cost to run two high schools instead of one will be $1.7 million to $1.8 million per year.

The committee was not charged with making recommendations. Instead, the committee prepared a list of possibilities for decreasing costs or increasing revenue. Some of the possibilities presented:

The committee noted: