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Utilities advocates regional solution for stormwater

June 7th, 2012, 3:09 pm by

Colorado Springs Utilities responded to comments that Mayor Steve Bach made about the city’s stormwater needs during a press conference Thursday.

The response, made at the request of The Gazette, came via email from Southern Delivery System spokeswoman Janet Rummel.

Here it is:

The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and ROD for SDS were the culmination of an extensive, scientific study of potential project impacts that took nearly six years and $17 million to complete. The analysis which included input from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers concluded that, even when fully operational, SDS return flows will have a negligible impact on peak flow volumes in Fountain Creek associated with storm flows. Further, there are measures in place in our SDS permits to adequately address any potential increase in future flows on Fountain Creek related to the operation of SDS.

However, from a broader perspective, Colorado Springs Utilities supports responsible stormwater management because it ensures compliance with the City’s permit requirements under the Clean Water Act, while protecting the health and safety of our citizens as well as our community’s infrastructure, including roads, bridges, communications lines, and wastewater lines, to name a few.

We strongly believe that a regional solution is the most effective way to protect our citizens and our infrastructure. Such an approach would ensure that all residents who contribute to stormwater runoff in our shared waterways are also contributing to the required investment to address those issues. Stormflows come from more sources in our County than Colorado Springs Utilities customers, and our customers should not be expected to solely invest in the required capital improvements to protect City and County infrastructure along area drainageways. Unmanaged storm flows outside of Colorado Springs city limits can jeopardize investments made within the city. Additionally, as we’ve seen from this week’s severe storms, stormwater management is needed for all the creeks and drainageways in our City and County, not just for addressing issues on Fountain Creek.

We recognize this is a complex issue, and Colorado Springs Utilities is already actively working with others in the region to identify a long-term, sustainable funding solution.

Posted in: Utilities • • • • | 1 Comment »

Colorado Springs Utilities may only need four, not six, water rate hikes for SDS

May 16th, 2012, 2:37 pm by

Colorado Springs Utilities now says that only two more water rates increases – not three – may be needed to pay for the Southern Delivery System water pipeline.

The city-owned utility had initially planned six 12 percent water rate increases, two of which have already been approved.

In April, Utilities said the next two planned 12 percent water rate increases would be closer to 10 percent each and the fifth would “likely” be less than 10 percent. At the time, Utilities also said the sixth and final water rate hike may not even be necessary.

But Wednesday, Utilities CEO Jerry Forte said that both the fifth and sixth planned water rate increases – not just the sixth – may not be needed.

“It’s a little too early to guarantee that it won’t be needed at all, but that’s what we’re going to continue to push for if we can,” SDS spokeswoman Janet Rummel said.

Utilities plans to ask for two 10 percent water rate increases effective January 2013 and January 2014, but if things go according to plan, that may be it.

If the City Council approves the next two years of water rate increases, Utilities estimates that the average residential monthly water bill will be $57.28 in 2014.

Posted in: Budget • Utilities • • • • | 10 Comments »

‘Illegal aliens’ prohibited from working on SDS

April 19th, 2012, 4:59 pm by

A recent story about the Southern Delivery System water pipeline prompted a local man to call The Gazette and question whether Colorado Springs Utilities is employing “illegal aliens” to work on the project.

The man left the following message on voicemail:

“I can’t help but wonder how many illegal aliens might be working on that pipeline. I would think to assume that Colorado Springs might not be interested in hiring illegal aliens to work on the SDS would be kind of unrealistic because they’re trying to get it done as cheap as they can and the illegal aliens will work for about one-third the price. I think as a good investigative reporter that that might be an avenue you might want to look at. I realize you’re probably limited on time yourself, but you certainly have more resources available to you than the average citizen does. I’ve been concerned about this for some time. I’ve discussed by email this with Mayor Bach before he was elected as mayor and he said he would support any legislation or any other means to prevent illegal aliens working for the city or any kind of city-funded projects,” the man said.

SDS spokesman Janet Rummel sent via email the “standard compliance language in all Colorado Springs Utilities contracts” that prohibits contractors from hiring “illegal aliens.”

“We have measures in place to prevent that kind of issue from occurring, and it’s addressed in all the contracts that we enter into,” she said in a telephone interview. “Not only do our contractors have to comply with that, but they have to make sure that anybody they subcontract with complies with that.”

How does Utilities ensure that its contractors aren’t hiring “illegal aliens.”

“Colorado Springs Utilities and MWH project managers (overseeing the SDS project) are on our construction sites daily managing and inspecting the work of our contractors and crews,” Rummel said in an email.

“If someone has a specific concern that he or she has observed at a Colorado Springs Utilities worksite, we encourage them to bring that to our attention so that we can address the issue with the contractor immediately.”

 

Posted in: People • Utilities • • • | 3 Comments »

Quote(s) of the Day

March 1st, 2012, 5:24 pm by

Exactly who organized the Monday night dinner between the city councils of Colorado Springs and Pueblo?

It depends on who you ask.

Colorado Springs City Council Liaison Aimee Cox said Margaret Radford “coordinated that event.”

Radford is a former Colorado Springs councilwoman who landed a job paying more than $80,000 a year with a company that received a $10 million contract from Colorado Springs Utilities to work on the Southern Delivery System water pipeline.

Radford, who championed SDS as a council member, would neither confirm nor deny that she coordinated the dinner.

Radford referred inquiries to Janet Rummel, a Utilities spokeswoman who works primarily on SDS.

When pressed for an answer, Radford quickly ended the call.

“Let’s not do this, really,” Radford said. “If you want to talk about that, you need to talk to Janet. You know that. But I’m going to let you go now. Take care.”

Rummel said Pueblo initiated the dinner.

“They suggested that we get together and so they’re hosting a dinner with us, and it’s here in Colorado Springs,” Rummel said.

So what was Radford doing calling City Hall?

“She was just helping work on. (pause) I think that she was just calling to see. (pause) I don’t remember what all we had her doing on this event. I think she may have just called over there and checked on something for me. I can’t remember exactly what it was,” Rummel said.

Jenny Eickelman, interim deputy city manager for the city of Pueblo, said she thinks Pueblo initiated the dinner.

“We may have called them,” Eickelman said. “I’m not exactly sure who called who this time.”

 

 

Posted in: Budget • City Council • • • • • • | 5 Comments »

Pueblo buying Colorado Springs fancy dinner

March 1st, 2012, 2:48 pm by

Walter's Bistro

The city councils of Colorado Springs and Pueblo are breaking bread Monday night at Walter’s Bistro on East Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard.

The dinner is part of an ongoing effort to build relationships between the two cities, said Janet Rummel, a Colorado Springs Utilities spokeswoman who works primarily on the Southern Delivery System water pipeline.

“Over the years, we’ve met with their City Council just to improve on the ongoing relationships that we have with our neighbors,” she said.

“It’s been very valuable to us to kind of keep that dialogue open between our City Council and their City Council, particularly as we construct a project like Southern Delivery System, for example,” she said.

Pueblo is picking up the cost of the dinner, Rummel said.

Because three or more council members are meeting at the same time, the dinner is open to the public.

But it’s safe to say that the city of Pueblo is not buying the general public a $36 Pan Roasted Chilean Sea Bass or a $48 Colorado Rack of Lamb. Those are just two of the items on the bistro’s menu.

“It’s at a restaurant here in Colorado Springs so if a public member wanted to come, they can come. It’s just a dinner and discussion. No agenda or anything, just getting to know one another,” Rummel said.

Jenny Eickelman, interim deputy city manager for Pueblo, said the two councils had dinner in Pueblo last year and agreed to try to get together at least once a year.

“We’re neighbors, and we all have some of the issues, so we just like to keep each other informed,” she said.

“It’s just one of those things in government that we like to share our ideas. We learn a lot from them, and they learn some things from us,” Eickelman added. “It’s just been a good relationship that we’ve begun to develop with them.”

Six of nine Colorado Springs City Council members joined the council last year, and Rummel said the seven-member Pueblo City Council has three new members.

“It was agreed upon that it was a good idea to continue to have those relationships and maintain those relationships so getting together on a periodic basis seems to make sense as a way to do that,” she said.

Posted in: City Council • Meetings • People • • • • | 1 Comment »

City-owned bus to transport city officials, Utilities employees to party

August 18th, 2011, 2:01 pm by

(not the actual bus)

Call it the SDS Express.

A city-owned bus is transporting former Mayor Lionel Rivera, City Council President Scott Hente, Colorado Springs Utilities CEO Jerry Forte and other city officials and Utilities employees Friday to the Pueblo Dam for a celebration commemorating the start of major construction on the 62-mile Southern Delivery System water pipeline.

“This is a more efficient way to transport the group than individual cars,” SDS spokeswoman Janet Rummel said in an email. “Those riding the bus will participate in a tour of construction at the dam prior to the event.”

Mayor Steve Bach is scheduled to attend Friday’s event, but he’s not going by bus, according the passenger list.

Rummel said such bus transportation “has been done for similar events that many Council members have attended in the past.”

Colorado Springs ratepayers will apparently foot the bill.

“I have been told that the bus gets 6 miles per gallon and the cost of the fuel per gallon is $2.56,” she wrote. “For the roundtrip, we estimate the cost of fuel to be just under $40. The City also has designated a City employee to drive the bus that morning instead of their normal dispatch duties.”

The bus is fueled from a city fuel station, Rummel said.

“Our understanding is that the driver was already scheduled to work that morning. We will work with the City to reimburse them for their costs,” she said.

Here’s the passenger list:

Council members riding the bus:
Scott Hente
Merv Bennett and his wife
Brandy Williams
Val Snider
Jan Martin
Tim Leigh (tentative)

Staff riding the bus:
Steve Cox
Jerry Forte
Gary Bostrom
John Fredell
Ken Burgess
Sherri Newell
Dave Padgett
Bill Cherrier
Bruce McCormick
Janet Rummel

In addition, former Mayor Lionel Rivera and Vice Mayor Larry Small will be riding the bus.

Posted in: City Council • City employees • Transit • Utilities • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • | 13 Comments »

Quote of the Day

August 17th, 2011, 3:12 pm by

“I’m not getting these kinds of questions from, like, the AP.”

– Southern Delivery System spokeswoman Janet Rummel said today, referring to The Associated Press, when asked how much Friday’s celebration at Pueblo Dam was going to cost.

Rummel’s comment made me chuckle, which Rummel didn’t appreciate.

“You’re laughing during this whole interview, and it just seems pretty unprofessional,” she said. “It seems as if you got your bias. You’ve got your bent.”

When I first called Rummel, I asked her about the headline in a blog post in the Indy about Friday’s celebration, which, in all honesty, did crack me up.

The headline was: Celebration for skyrocketing water rates.

Posted in: Budget • Utilities • • • • | 8 Comments »

Utilities spends $8,000 to celebrate $2.3 billion SDS project

August 17th, 2011, 2:13 pm by

Colorado Springs Utilities is commemorating the start of major construction on the Southern Delivery System with an invitation-only celebration Friday at Pueblo Dam.

SDS is a 62-mile pipeline designed to pump water uphill from Pueblo Dam to Colorado Springs. The project, which will cost ratepayers $2.3 billion in construction and financing costs, will serve Colorado Springs residents for decades to come. The pipeline, which will also serve the neighboring communities of Fountain, Pueblo West and Security, will deliver up to 96 million gallons of water a day at full capacity.

“It’s one of the largest water projects to be built in the state of Colorado in quite a few years and it may be one of the last, so it’s pretty significant that we finally have construction under way,” SDS spokeswoman Janet Rummel said Wednesday.

Friday’s celebration will include multiple speakers, including Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach, former Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera, Fountain Mayor Jeri Howells and John Cordova, chair of the Pueblo County Board of Commissioners, among others.

Children from Colorado Springs, Fountain, Pueblo West and Security will participate in the event by contributing to a time-capsule for the project, Rummel said. Their participation is meant to “signify that this is what the project is all about,” she said.

Rummel said Utilities sent more than 400 invitations to people across the state and has received about 130 responses so far.

Even though Colorado Springs ratepayers who are paying for the project didn’t get an individual invitation, Rummel said Utilities would not turn anyone away.

“If people from our community wanted to attend, they’re welcome to,” she said. “It would be hard to accommodate a large crowd, a larger crowd than we were anticipating.”

Rummel initially said the celebration would cost less than $10,000. In a follow-up email, she said the cost was less than $8,000.

“Based on an estimate of 175 guests, we estimate the cost of the event at less than $8,000. This includes the invitations/mailing, time capsule, podium/sound system, tent and chairs, light food and beverages, portable restrooms, and a professional photographer to document the historic occasion — similar to photos that were taken of the Homestake project in the 1960s. We also purchased a permit from State Parks for use of the area for the event,” she wrote in the email.

“Most major construction projects have a ground-breaking ceremony. Many people from around the region and the state have played a significant role in advancing this critical project for our community over the last 20 years, and they deserve to be formally recognized and thanked,” she added.

Friday’s ceremony starts at 9:45 a.m., but people are encouraged to show up by 9:30 a.m. It will be on the east side of Pueblo Reservoir, area south of the Arkansas River and the State Park entrance station.

Posted in: Budget • Utilities • • • • | 7 Comments »

Utilities denies open-records request for SDS documents

June 28th, 2011, 7:33 am by

Colorado Springs Utilities rejected an open-records request Monday for documents involving a proposed accelerated construction schedule for the massive Southern Delivery System water pipeline.

“To the extent any documents exist related to an analysis of a possible accelerated construction schedule for the SDS water pipeline, a part of the SDS Project, this analysis is being conducted, and deliberative materials assembled, for the benefit of the Colorado Springs Utilities Board as elected officials,” Utilities spokeswoman Janet Rummel said in a written response.

“As such, any existing documents fall within the work product exception to the definition of public records set forth in C.R.S. § 24-72-202 (6.5)(a).  In addition, these documents would be protected by the deliberative process privilege codified at C.R.S. § 24-72-204(3)(a)(XIII). Accordingly, we are not able to make any of these documents available at this time,” she wrote.

Rummel said the city-owned utility understood The Gazette’s interest in SDS — which will cost ratepayers $2.3 billion when financing costs are factored in — and respected the newspaper’s desire “to present this information to the citizens of Colorado Springs in a timely way.”

Rummel also said Utilities shares the newspaper’s commitment to keeping the public informed.

“We commit to make it available to you once it has been given to our elected officials,” she said.

Posted in: Boards and Commissions • Colorado Open Records Act • Utilities • • • • | 3 Comments »

Utilities tried to bypass public comment period on SDS contracts

January 22nd, 2011, 3:53 pm by

Pueblo Reservoir

Concerned about more delays, Colorado Springs Utilities tried to sidestep a 60-day public comment period on long-term water contracts for the Southern Delivery System.

But the federal Bureau of Reclamation, which has been going back-and-forth with the utility since late August over the final language in the contracts, rejected the request.

“We understand your concerns,” Michael Collins, area manager for the bureau, said in a Sept. 29 e-mail to Utilities officials.

“However, we feel strongly that it is important to stay consistent with our past contract practices and the current public expectations for this contract process,” he wrote.

David Robbins, outside legal counsel for Utilities, said the request to bypass the public comment period came purely at his suggestion after he read federal regulations.

“I did not see anywhere that said that after the negotiation process is completed, there must be additional 60-day notice,” he said.

Robbins gave a handful of reasons for his request to skip the public comment period, including what he called a “very, very, very” favorable construction climate that could generate cost savings and the fact that SDS has already been through a rigorous public comment process.

Robbins was also concerned that someone would raise an issue in the contracts that would give the bureau pause, possibly sending the two sides back to the negotiating table.

Robbins’ concern is real because the bureau isn’t leaving out the possibility that the public comment period could hold up a signature on the contracts.

“We cannot guarantee that we would not receive a comment that might cause us to give it joint consideration,” Collins wrote in the Sept. 29 e-mail.

The contracts affect the entire project but are needed for Utilities to begin construction at Pueblo Reservoir, the mouth of the 62-mile pipeline.

“The other components of the project are moving forward,” Utilities spokeswoman Janet Rummel said.

Posted in: Utilities • • • | Post a Comment »

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