Arkansas - Las Animas Water System Improvements_App 2

Home Browse Search

Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form Fonn Revised May 2007 project unanimously. Within the approval of the Arkansas Basin Roundtable, two issues were presented which included tap fees and potential water quality impacts from the effluent of the water treatment plant. With regard to tap fees, the City of Las Animas has generated $3,900, $8,250, $2,692, and $2,750 from years 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, respectively from the assessments for new taps. They represent 0.6%, 1.4%, 0.4% and 0.3% respectively of the city's gross water system revenues for the years in question. The tap fee revenues over this four year period represent an average of 0.6% of the total water system revenues secured by the city. This shows that the city simply does not have growth or growth pressure. In contrast to areas that are experiencing healthy growth, the city desperately needs to encourage growth to maintain its population base and level of service. One way the city does this is by keeping their water tap fees at reasonable levels to encourage businesses to locate within the city. This is a practice similar to the majority of the communities located in Eastern Colorado who try to encourage growth. In regard to the potential impacts to water quality resulting from the expansion of the water treatment plant, the city is undertaking a mass balance determination specifically in regard to the element of concern, selenium. Once the mass balance has been completed taking into account the increase in the city's water production and the resulting impact to water quality, that information will be supplied to the person of concern with CWCB being carbon copied on the correspondence. On a specific note, the Needs Assessment Committee was so supportive of the project that they requested the City of Las Animas revise its requested allocation from $300,000 from the Statewide account to the $200,000 from the Statewide account and $100,000 from the Basin account. Such being the case, the first eligibility item has been met. The proposed project focuses on the construction of structural facilities. This is a specific criteria contained within the eligible water activities. Therefore, this requirement has been met. The last eligibility item deals specifically within the approval of the CWCB. As discussed within this application, we believe this water project meets the objectives and requirements contain within eligibility requirements. The project will address and eliminate a defined water gap specifically for the City of Las Animas. Furthermore, this project will increase the amount of available potable water not only to the city, but the surrounding area. This will have a positive impact from both an economic and a water availability standpoint. 2. The water activity is consistent with Section 37-75-102 Colorado Revised Statutes. The requirements/language from the statute are provided in Part 3 of the Criteria and Guidelines. The city's project focuses strictly on their current water rights and the need to more efficiently and effectively use said rights. Therefore, the project does not have, and should not be perceived to have, any impact on other water rights holders. Given the nature of the city's water rights, they are required to augment the rights. The city has historically met this requirement and will continue to do so into the future. Such being the case, the city's water project is consistent with Section 37-75-102 C.R.S. 3. The water activity underwent an evaluation and approval process and was approved by the Basin Roundtable (BRT) and the application includes a description of the results of the BRTs evaluation and approval of the activity. At a minimum, the description must include the level of agreement reached by the roundtable, including any minority opinion(s) if there was not general agreement for the activity. The description must also include reasons why general agreement was not reached (if it was not), including who opposed the activity and why they opposed it. Note- If this information is included in the letter from the roundtable chair simply reference that letter. Please review attached letter from the Arkansas River Basin Roundtable chair. F:\WPDATA\Las Animas\Water\05 WSlmp\Financial\Roundtable\06-07 Application (may 07).doc 6