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Senate committee advances narrow Hartman emergency water bill to appropriations after unanimous vote
Summary
Senate Bill 26‑157 would let the state temporarily step in to operate critical water infrastructure in statutory towns lacking officials, provide up to $100,000 in bridge funding, and create a path for residents to petition for an election. The committee adopted a clarifying amendment and sent the bill to appropriations with a favorable, unanimous recommendation.
Senator Pelton told the committee that Hartman, a statutory town in his district, has no elected officials and a failing water system that has been under repeated boil orders. He said the bill would allow the state to step in for a six‑month period to restore water operations and enable residents or landowners to petition for an election or other governance solutions.
Don Wilson, Prowers County administrator, and Maria DeCampro, executive director of the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), urged the committee to act quickly. DeCampro described multiple DOLA efforts since 2020 and said the town’s water tank integrity and electrical accounts put residents at risk of losing service in weeks: "This situation is critical because Hartman residents could lose their water by early summer." Nicole Rowan of the Department of Public Health and Environment explained the $100,000 would pay for an operator, chlorine and required monitoring as short‑term bridge funding to keep the system compliant with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Opponents including Jamie Daryl raised procedural and equity concerns, saying the bill was reactive, lacks definitions and guarantees of community input or judicial review, and could be applied inconsistently to other small communities. Daryl urged a broader, evidence‑based approach rather than crisis‑only legislation.
Proponents including the Colorado Municipal League argued the bill is narrowly tailored to an extreme, exceptional case and uses an existing small‑community water and wastewater grant fund. The committee adopted amendment L001 (clarifying language for agencies) without objection. Vice Chair Snyder moved the bill, as amended, to the appropriations committee with a favorable recommendation; the roll call was unanimous.
