Board debates joining regional river authority, role in Haines Creek reservoir project

Pueblo West board members discussed whether to participate in the Roy Authority and specifically whether to join capital projects such as the proposed Haines Creek reservoir.

Staff explained the Roy Authority is designed to coordinate river operations and project development on the Middle River; major municipal suppliers (e.g., Aurora, Colorado Springs) are leading participants while smaller districts can take a seat and later opt in or out of project phases. The agreement would require a contribution toward initial administrative costs; staff characterized the district’s share as “a little less than 5%” of the cost of staffing the authority and early project analysis. Staff said specific project participation would be decided later: joining the authority does not automatically obligate the district to fund every project.

Board members sought clarity on cost exposure. Staff said there is an ongoing administrative cost to be a member (illustrated in the transcript with a hypothetical example: if administration totaled $200,000, a 5% share would be about $10,000). Staff said project costs would vary by project; for Haines Creek the percentage was referenced in materials but dollar amounts will depend on each project’s budget.

One board member opposed the Haines Creek reservoir site itself, saying the location looked “ill founded” and comparing it to an evaporation pond; that member said they were "against it." The transcript records no final decision—discussion was expected to continue, with two separate decisions likely: whether to participate in the Haines Creek project specifically and whether to remain a member of the Roy Authority generally to retain a “seat at the table.”