GREELEY, Colo. — The Water and Sewer Board on July 16 recommended that city council adopt an ordinance establishing a local improvement district (LID) to fund oversizing of a nonpotable irrigation pump station that will serve the Lake Bluff service area.

Ryan (water resources project staff) explained the LID would reimburse costs for the pump station oversize based on bulk area; staff calculated a unit cost of $2,214.75 per bulk acre by dividing the project cost (about $1.8 million) by the service-area acreage (812.734 acres). The board discussed which parcels would be assessed and noted that Lake Bluff phases that built the pond and pump station already paid their construction costs and are not included in the proposed LID.

Staff said the pump station and adjacent storage and flow-splitting infrastructure were already constructed; the LID assessment applies only to undeveloped parcels that will later benefit from the oversize capacity. The city will conduct community outreach to properties in the proposed district, hold a public meeting and then move forward with ordinance readings if council approves the recommendation.

Board members clarified that the assessment would typically be collected from lot owners who ultimately connect to and benefit from the system and that developers may incorporate assessed costs into lot prices. The board voted to recommend council adoption of the draft ordinance establishing the Lake Bluff nonpotable irrigation LID; the motion carried by voice vote.

Staff said meters and billing for nonpotable systems are supported by the city’s billing systems (nonpotable meters are tracked at the connection point). The board requested a future briefing on the city’s nonpotable policy and how LIDs and plant-investment fee incentives interact with dual potable/nonpotable systems.

The board’s recommendation asks council to adopt an ordinance to establish the LID, proceed with outreach, and set timelines that could allow a LID ordinance to be in place by October.