Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves WISC system modification and cost-allocation agreements; delegates minor execution authority
Summary
The Greeley Water and Sewer Board voted to approve a WISC system modification agreement and a separate cost-allocation agreement among municipal shareholders, delegating authority to the director of water and sewer to sign minor administrative revisions. The agreements set funding, modeling and assessment rules for planned check structures as municipal entities convert irrigation shares to municipal use.
The Greeley Water and Sewer Board voted Nov. 19 to approve two separate agreements with the WISC Water Supply and Storage Company that aim to coordinate construction and cost-sharing for infrastructure changes needed as municipal shareholders convert ditch shares to municipal use.
Cole, a staff presenter, told the board the system modification agreement will let WISC oversee engineering, modeling and construction of check structures and other options designed to maintain ditch elevations so downstream irrigators are not injured as water is removed for municipal uses. Municipal entities must notify WISC by April 1 of how many shares they plan to pull out over the next three years; by Oct. 30 the group will identify candidate structures for the coming three years. WISC will retain decision authority but will seek municipal input on major choices.
The city’s representative said Greeley owns 47.417 shares — roughly 11% of municipal-owned shares — and that costs will be covered by annual and special municipal assessments, with an initial CWCB loan required by WISC to be repaid in full over five years. Cole noted modeling currently identifies about 35–40 check structures in the main ditch and two laterals, and per-structure price estimates discussed in the meeting ranged from roughly $500,000 to $800,000 at current pricing; the number of structures could change after updated hydraulic modeling.
Separately, the board approved a cost-allocation agreement among municipal entities (Thornton, Greeley, Fort Collins, Loveland, North Weld and others) to apportion WISC’s total cost by municipal ownership percentage and to reimburse Thornton pro rata for certain early expenditures; credits to Thornton’s prior spending begin Jan. 1, 2028. The municipal entities committee will include one representative from each municipality and require unanimous consent for committee decisions.
Chairman Evans moved both recommendations to forward the agreements to city council and to delegate limited authority to the director of water and sewer to approve minor, non-substantive revisions before execution. Both motions were seconded and carried by voice vote.
The board’s approval packages note that assessments will be billed to municipal shareholders and that failure to pay could reduce water deliveries or trigger penalties; grants and loans may offset portions of cost for early years. The agreements also require annual as-built reports and seasonal operational observations from WISC so municipal owners can review performance and avoid unnecessary future construction.
Next steps: the board’s approvals will be recommended to the Greeley City Council for final action and staff will continue participation in the municipal entities committee and the upcoming hydraulic modeling update.
