Boxelder Authority looks at possible boundary changes

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

An angry group of northern Larimer County residents turned out on Sept. 16 for the monthly meeting of the Boxelder Stormwater Authority board. Rumors had been flying about expanding the area from which fees are collected, and residents demanded to know whether they were "out" or "in."

Ayres Associates, an engineering firm hired by the authority board last April to re-examine boundaries and policies, outlined its recommendations at the meeting. The goal of the additional work, said board president Henry Obermeyer, was to make boundaries "less arbitrary, and consistent from a hydrological standpoint."

The proposed changes would bring an additional 554 homes into the fee area. About half are located in Adriel Hills and Vista Bonita, and the other 50 percent are in two areas: between County Road 70 and the Soil Conservation Service dams; and west of the previous western boundary, including Cottonwood Shores.

The fee area, according to an Ayres report released at the meeting, is "intended to include only those properties from which the stormwater runoff rate is not effectively mitigated by existing lakes or reservoirs before flowing into Boxelder Creek or one of its tributaries."

Both the authority and its manager, Rex Burns, took heat at the meeting from unhappy residents. Some asked the board to release a summary of its performance evaluations of Burns.

Residents complained about the shifting nature of the fee area boundaries. However, Larry Lorentzen, Wellington's representative on the board, countered that the proposed changes are the result of citizen input.

"The impetus for the new study came from citizens' complaints that the boundaries weren't consistent," he said.

Some residents asked that the Boxelder project be scrapped altogether. However, Lorentzen noted that the board doesn't have the authority to halt the project.

"You have to talk to your elected officials," he said.

Al Buckhart, who has property for sale on East Mulberry Street, said a potential buyer wants to know what the stormwater fees will be next year. Lorentzen said that's not known for sure, but fees will likely go down if the proposed boundary changes are made, since costs would be shared by more property owners.

After hearing the comments, the authority board voted to proceed with the public involvement process, which will include three public open houses in October. After the board has considered this input, it could make a recommendation to Wellington, Fort Collins and Larimer County for changes to their intergovernmental agreement. All three entities would have to approve such changes.

Public open houses are scheduled as follows. Two are planned at the Leeper Center in Wellington, Oct. 13 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. and Oct. 14 from 4 to 7 p.m. A third open house is set for Oct. 19, 3 to 6 p.m., at the Plaza Inn, Jade Room, 3836 E. Mulberry St. The open houses will include maps and displays explaining the proposed changes in boundaries and policies.

Also at the Sept. 16 meeting, Don Taranto of TST Engineers in Fort Collins announced that Timnath is now interested in participating in the Boxelder project. The town was part of early discussions but later withdrew from the process, planning to build its own Boxelder flood protection facilities.

Burns said Timnath's involvement would "absolutely" mean lower fees for others within the project boundaries.

Some proposed new policies are also up for discussion.

On Nov. 18, the authority board will consider making a recommendation to the three governmental entities to incorporate the changes into the IGA. If the entities approve the changes, owners of the newly included properties would be asked to pay a Boxelder stormwater fee beginning in January 2012. Current residential fees range from $6 to $7.50 per month.

Lorentzen informed the audience that Boxelder stormwater fees would not continue forever, since the board is only authorized to build three projects. The fees would continue until the project debt is paid off.

Detailed information can be found on the authority's web site, www.boxelderauthority.org.