HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-16-22 Public Comment - M. Wictor - Public Comment #1_ F.2 CommDevBoard 5-16-2022 for Ord.2108 Water_Well Uses ~ PARKLAND=City & CONSERVATIONFrom:Mary Wictor
To:Agenda
Subject:Public Comment #1: F.2 CommDevBoard 5-16-2022 for Ord.2108 Water/Well Uses ~ PARKLAND=City &
CONSERVATION
Date:Monday, May 16, 2022 11:23:49 AM
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Dear City of Bozeman, please ensure this written Public Comment is provided to the Community
Development Board & City Commission
First item to consider for review and making changes NOW. In the redline/blueline/orange changes in
Code for Ordinance 2108, the
"until 50% of the lots are sold" has been changed to "until parkland is fully accepted by the City."
[See Page 31 of 64 in full agenda packet, or as Section 2 page 4 of 8, or BOLD Page number 31.]
Highly concerned that this is way too nebulous... as the current code defines a specific % for when City
accepts responsibility for the Parkland. In the changed code, it seems possible that the City will just never
"fully accept" the parkland as there is no specifics on this.
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Second
For today's MON 5/16/2022 CDB meeting, Agenda item F.2 is for Ordinance 2108 making changes that
the BACKGROUND in the Staff Bulletin (page 10 of 64 full agenda packet) says are changes that "have
serious policy implications"
[regarding Well Use Requirement update per MT State Legislature.]
[In the past few years, I have participated in Water Appropriation meetings and given Public Comment
and input at Public Hearings, at the County level and along with farms and agriculture, plus I also have
interacted with DNRC in Bozeman for water rights, etc.]
I learned the following:
+Sprinkler uses take more water than flood irrigation (with obvious losses due to evaporation, etc)
+A residential home with a well and septic uses/loses only about 2% of the water, as H2O is pumped up
from the ground, that is then used domestically in the household, with the wastewater going into the
septic tank and drainfield--so, roughly back into the ground from whence it came.
I was troubled/concerned when I read on page 21 of 64 in the full agenda packet within the Staff Memo
(numbered page 10 of 16) the following:
Last/end sentence in the text paragraph in responding to the BOLD 17. paragraph:
+"...there is no net change in water consumption, rather a shift whose water is used."
+PLEASE NOTE: Key functional difference is a well located on-property draws groundwater from the
area of the aquifer that is nearby.
However, with water purchased from the City for irrigation uses--will likely be bouth & brought from
somewhere else--including Hyalite, Sourdough, or Lyman Reservoirs, or perhaps from other
wells/location the City might own/use for water services.
Staff Memo sentence that appears just before the quoted text above further states: "The additional
demand caused by these changes, in the long term, may deplete the City's water supply more quickly
than the existing paradigm."
I do note that on page 17 of 64, with EPO 3.3 that "native plants" are mentioned twice. Emphasize
drought tolerant landscaping.
WATER CONSERVATION notations--pieced together for your re-look here:
Also, on page 19 of 64, under 9. Orderly Development..., the second to last sentence in that bottomparagraph says the following:"Additional standards are being created as a foundation for possible future amendments to codify waterconservation."
Appendix A on page 25 of 64 states (and is also included elsewhere therein)"Further, the existing municipal water supply of the City of Bozeman is an essential resource that sustainspublic health, safety, and welfare and is highly susceptible to the impacts of drought thereforenecessitating wise use and conservation of the limited water resource."
Additionally, on page 17 of 64, within EPO 3.5 ... Integrated Water Resources Plan [IWRP] (related toSubDivision Regulations)..."The first priority for implementing the IWRP is developing a successful water conservation program.Conservation fills the largest proportionate share of the City's projected 17,750 acre-foot supply gap byproviding 10,100 acre-feet of water savings." ... focus develop effective outreach & educational programstargeting indoor and outdoor water reduction. Additional tiered rate system has been implemented to curbexcessive water use in peak demand periods. [Code revisions in Ordinance 2108 will further the efforts...in IWRP.]
Lastly, I recall from my talking with Bob Murray in Engineering at City of Bozeman, about that wateravailability was/is about 2x or DOUBLE for availabilty than in past times (decade or more ago) related
to International Plumbing Code changes (1992 G.W. Bush signed Energy Policy Act per Internet history
search) for low-flow/flush toilets, and shower head replacements (and I wonder if maybe also those
general educational clips on turning off water when you brush your teeth, etc?)
Thank you for this opportunity to provide written input that I hope might be read and discussed or
considered today 5-16-22 by CDB.
Sincerely, Mary Wictor 425-283-7253 mobileOwner 1504 Boylan Rd, Bozeman, MT