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2001 BUDGET IN THE WORKS FOR SECWCD <br />August marked the beginning of <br />the budget process for the District. <br />Lee Simpson was appointed <br />Budget Officer for this year at the <br />August Board meeting. The nine <br />counties comprising the <br />Southeastern Colorado Water <br />Conservancy District provided us <br />with their Assessed Valuation <br />worksheets by August 25 as <br />required by law. With those <br />preliminary figures, we now move <br />forward with the process of <br />establishing a budget for the <br />District and the Water Activity <br />Enterprise. The Water & Storage <br />Needs Assessment Enterprise will <br />be terminated this year and all of <br />its activities will be incorporated <br />into the Water Activity Enterprise. <br />An added wrinkle this year will <br />be the preparation of a second <br />budget just in case Amendment <br />21 – Tax Cut 2000 passes in the <br />November election. Although at <br />this point we don't know all of the <br />implications of the proposed tax <br />cut, we are working with various <br />officials and legal counsel to <br />calculate as best we can the effect <br />on our District. This second <br />budget is necessitated because we <br />must present the budget to our <br />Board and to the public before the <br />election. So we must be ready for <br />either outcome. <br />Now that we have the new <br />building project behind us, we can <br />settle back into a regular format for <br />the budget. The new building will <br />provide us with many years of <br />reduced maintenance costs, but we <br />are faced with higher utility costs. <br />Overall I think everyone will agree <br />that the new building is a <br />welcomed improvement. And we <br />accomplished this magnificent <br />office at an out -of- pocket cost of <br />just $158,000.00. <br />Another added cost this year will <br />be the maintenance of our <br />wonderful Xeriscape <br />Demonstration Garden. Jean <br />VanPelt, our master gardener, has <br />the garden looking great. She will <br />be working with us in the future to <br />keep it as a beautiful <br />demonstration garden to show <br />people in the District just how <br />good a Xeriscape landscape can <br />be. <br />The two big challenges facing <br />the District staff and Board this <br />year will be the beginning of the <br />implementation of the Preferred <br />Storage Option Plan, and the study <br />of possible transfer of a portion of <br />the O &M project to the District. <br />So we have two good challenges to <br />keep us going this next year. <br />Overall, we are looking to a year <br />with only a slight increase of <br />revenues and the challenge of <br />keeping our expenses in line. <br />Look for the proposed budget to be <br />presented by October 15, 2000. <br />We will have our public hearing on <br />November 16, with the final <br />budget approval expected on <br />December 13, 2000. <br />Written by: Phil Reynolds, CFO, <br />SECWCD <br />An Exciting Summer at the SECWCD Xeriscape Demonstration Garden <br />We have had a very — = <br />- -< <br />-, .,. 1 <br />hail. Fortunately, the garden <br />interesting summer, with a lot of <br />'`f <br />recovered beautifully without any <br />90 degree plus weather and very <br />f <br />plants lost. All in all, the <br />little rainfall. But, in typical'`` <br />Xeriscape Demonstration Garden <br />Colorado style, when it did rain <br />_ <br />has done well this summer. <br />it was a torrential down pour. <br />` <br />, With summer's end just around <br />Unfortunately, the down pour–, <br />the corner, it gives thoughts to <br />happened to occur two days <br />cooler weather. Soon, the long <br />after the grass areas of the <br />" -�` r <br />hot summer days will be gone and <br />garden were hydromulched. <br />the garden plants will rest for the <br />The rain did a wonderful job of,., <br />winter. But, there will be very <br />washing away most of the seed <br />little rest for us. We will be busy <br />and the topsoil We recently <br />ryiota'l�role teers from El Pueblo Boys and Girls Ranch playa <br />developing signage for the garden <br />had the washed out areas re- <br />in the maintenance of the Xeriscape Garden. <br />and tours. We will also be <br />seeded and are working to <br />working on a brochure and a <br />renovate the areas that we did not <br />amount of water (.75 a week) and <br />Website to educate others on the <br />lose. <br />wa <br />a high amount of water (1.5" per <br />benefits of Xeriscape Gardening. <br />The experimental grass plots have <br />Week). <br />been planted with ten different types <br />In July, the Xeriscape <br />E -mail address: jean @secwcd.com <br />of grasses. We will be <br />Demonstration Garden was <br />Written by: Jean Van Pelt <br />experimenting to see which type of <br />introduced to Colorado's infamous <br />Education Program and <br />grasses do best with a low amount of <br />hail storms. It suffered moderate <br />Maintenance Coordinator, <br />water (.5" a week), a moderate <br />damage from the two inch size <br />SECWCD <br />2 <br />