Wellington Planning Commission 8/13/24
by Nanci Wendland
Main Topics
- High cost of water bills.
- A special election in November to ask voters if they want to change the town’s voting schedule
Mayor Chaussee requested a change to the agenda. He asked to begin the meeting with a presentation from the Public Works department on how and why Wellington’s water rates became so high. The mayor wanted the public attending both in person and online to know that the board is listening and hears what everyone is feeling about the costly water bills. He went on to say that years and years led to this and to fix it is going to cost everyone. The mayor said Public Works and the Town Administrator are trying to renegotiate the 1983 contract with North Poudre Irrigation Company (NPIC). The board is doing whatever they can to look for additional water sources.
As a little history, residents of Wellington have been complaining about the increased water rates since the summer of 2021, when water rates doubled, sometimes tripled. Recently, on social media Let’s Talk Wellington, residents have been sharing how high their bills are and no one was getting feedback from the town board. One resident contacted Denver CBS News to complain and ask for help. The story aired on Denver Channel 4 news Aug. 9 at 6 p.m. Looking back, a similar story aired June 11, 2021, when water rates first increased dramatically.
Deputy Director Public Works Smith and Finance Committee Chair Redavid gave an overview of historical rates and costs from NPIC, along with the results from a 2022 rate study that was adopted for the current rate tier pricing structure. In 2021, NPIC increased the water lease to Wellington by 640%, causing the first increase in water rates to residents. Smith and Redavid also explained the billing cycles, late fees, and the timeline for service termination (shutting off the water for non-payment). Deputy Director Smith said the presentation will be available on the town website in a few days.
Several Trustees asked if the high summer water bills could be amortized over the full year to eliminate the sudden jump in cost over the summer irrigation period. The town administrator agreed to investigate this type of billing with the Public Works department. Trustee Mason suggested residents check their sprinkler systems. He said power outages can reset a water systems cycle, causing increased water usage. He also reassured the public there is no double-billing going on, and if they are seeing 35,000-to-40,000-gallon usage on their bills, something is wrong, and they should contact the city.
The city offers residents a review of their billing and a water check at their home for leaks. If a resident cannot pay the bill, the town will work out a payment plan so that their water is not turned off.
Public Comments
One resident said she has a large lot which was zeroscaped in 2022. What’s remaining of her lawn is dead. Her June billing was $845, and July’s billing is $1,000. She’s considering moving out of Wellington.
Several residents repeated online conversations that something shady is going on with Wellington’s finances. Mayor Chaussee said none of the rumors are true. The town hired a financial auditing consultant who has been auditing the town financials beginning with 2021. Chaussee said the results show no fraud and nothing shady going on.
Other residents wondered why the city didn’t do something sooner. One resident said the rates are absurd and wants more transparency from the board.
One resident offered suggestions for saving water. He recommended residents make sure to blow-out their sprinkler systems every October. Any water left in the lines can freeze and crack a line, which can be hard to detect. This resident also suggested turning all the water off everywhere in the house; then go look at the meter. If the meter is still ticking, there’s a leak somewhere.
The final resident to speak wanted to know when residents could expect changes and results. He said this is a crisis and asked for the resignation of the mayor and town administrator. He said they have failed to perform their duties and handle this crisis.
The Consent Agenda was unanimously approved. There was only 1 item:
- July 23, 2024, Regular Meeting Minutes
The board voted to postpone and move 5 items on the agenda to the next meeting, Aug. 27.
Resolution No. 42-2024: A Resolution Scheduling a Special Election to Refer a Ballot Question Regarding the Date of Regular Elections and an Extension of the Terms of Sitting Trustees on the Town of Wellington’s Board of Trustees to the Electors of the Town at the Coordinated November 5, 2024, General Election. This resolution asks voters in November to move Wellington’s town elections to regular election cycles handled by the Larimer County Clerk and Recorder’s office. Town elections would move from the first Tuesday of April in even years to the first Tuesday in November of even years, beginning November 2026.
Town Clerk Muhs said this would lower costs for Wellington. Regular elections held by the town of Wellington cost approximately $20-25K per election. Moving elections to Larimer County ballots would only cost $10K per election. Town Clerk Muhs also said this would increase security because the Larimer County Clerk and Recorder has more experience running elections. Muhs also thinks the change could increase voter participation.
The Resolution passed unanimously.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:16 p.m.
Questions To Consider
How much do Wellington water customers owe the city?
What percent of the budget is this and are ALL water customers suffering an increase?
Next Meeting: Aug. 27, 2024, 6:30 p.m. online Zoom, or in-person at The Leeper Center, 3800 Wilson Avenue, Wellington, CO
Members Present 8/13/2024
Trustees: Rebekka Daily, David Wiegand, Ed Cannon, Lowrey Moyer, and Shirrell Tietz. Mayor Pro Tem Brian Mason and Mayor Calar Chaussee.
Others Present to Note: Town Clerk Ethan Muhs; Planning Director Cody Bird; Deputy Director Public Works Meagan Smith.
Documents
Recorded meeting available here.
From the Wellington Planning Commission website: “The Town of Wellington Planning Commission is responsible for developing, adopting, and implementing the Comprehensive Plan to address community development and growth. This includes creating zoning regulations, land use policies, and other guidelines that help shape the community's physical and economic landscape.”