Gunnison staff say irrigation meters and information rules will raise administrative costs, propose $12 monthly irrigation increase

City staff detailed why they propose a $12-per-month increase to the pressurized-irrigation base rate and warned of substantial operational work tied to the state metering mandate. Speakers said the irrigation fund previously paid interest only; this budget begins paying principal and interest on loans and includes new capital reserves for meter replacement, water-right acquisition and infrastructure expansion.

Speaker 5 explained the strategy: the budget includes $10,000 to start building water-right reserves, $30,000 toward irrigation expansion and $75,000 per year set aside for a meter-replacement program that staff estimate could total roughly $1.2 million over 15 years. "We're gonna try to start paying principal and interest on that," Speaker 5 said, describing the shift from interest-only payments.

Councilors pressed staff on implementation details. Speaker 2 flagged administrative burdens that accompany metering: legal and technical requirements to provide residents with usage statements, a public-facing web portal or informational bills, and monthly allocations that may change seasonally based on available water. Staff identified a state compliance deadline — stated in the meeting as December 26 — to have user-accessible systems in place once meters are active.

Speakers also cautioned that meter installs can trigger other costs: meter failures and battery replacements over the warranty horizon, contractor coordination, and unexpected leak repairs during roll-out. Staff recommended building a multi-year reserve and pursuing outside grant support where possible to reduce one-time impacts to household bills.