COLORADO CITY METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
A special meeting of the Colorado City Board of Directors was called for Monday, November 6, beginning at 6:00 p.m. with four agenda items and an executive session.
The first item was an update and discussion of financing for capital projects consisting of Lake Beckwith Dam Rehabilitation, Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) projects for water treatment, and a Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) project for Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) treatment. The DAF project is required to begin next year.
The second item was approval of a Clean Water State Revolving Fund (WSRF) grant for engineering design of the Lake Beckwith Dam rehabilitation.
Scheduling a public hearing on the project to install pretreatment upgrades at Beckwith Water Treatment Plant as required by Drinking Water Revolving Fund Grant/Loan Application was the third item.
The final item on the agenda was an update of PFAS class action proposed settlements in Dupont and 3M cases and authorizing District Manager James Eccher and legal counsel to either file settlement claims or opt out of class action lawsuits.
The scheduled executive session was a conference with the board’s attorney for the purpose of receiving legal advice related to an Enforcement Order from CDPHE, appeal of same and Enforcement Compliance Advisory on a Sanitary Survey.
The three members of the community who attended the meeting may have felt a little outnumbered. In addition to the full board and members of the CCMD staff, there were four other guests: Caroline Steffl, CCMD attorney from Dietze and Davis PC, Daniel Rubin (Dietze and Davis PC), Josh Cook, and Nate Jacobs of NOCO Engineering Company.
Attorney Steffl began the meeting with an update of the loans the district had received.
She especially mentioned the grant received from WSRF funds from the Colorado Water and Conservation Board (CWCB) that would pay for the engineering project on the Beckwith rehabilitation. She mentioned that, in order to achieve everything the district wanted, it was estimated they would need about $13 million.
The WSRF grant was approved by the board by a unanimous vote.
A public hearing was scheduled for the project to install pretreatment upgrades at the Beckwith Water Treatment Plant as required by Drinking Water RevEngineerinvolving Fund Grant/Loan Application.
A discussion was held about a class action suit against 3M and Dupont in regard to proposed settlements on the PFAS class action suit. Eccher was instructed by the board to file the claim on behalf of the board.
Before going into executive session, Chairman Neil Elliot opened the meeting to discuss an enforcement order received by the Metro District along with a fine.
There was discussion about accusations stating that the district had not responded on numerous occasions.
Several interesting occurrences were mentioned by staff including trying to send information and being told the complaint was non-reviveable, and no acknowledgment of verbal responses on the part of CCMD.
An internal appeal has been filed and an extension was filed on the $13,213 initial fine levied on the CCMD. The fine may be the first and only fine if the Metro meets established guidelines due at mid and late January. An update will occur at the next meeting.