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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-06-25 Public Comment - K. Powell - Re_ [EXTERNAL]Re_ Following Up on UDC Open House - Water Breakout Session _Mandatory water efficiency offsetsFrom:KPowell & S Griswold To:Shawn Kohtz; Bozeman Public Comment Subject:Re: [EXTERNAL]Re: Following Up on UDC Open House - Water Breakout Session "Mandatory water efficiency offsets Date:Thursday, March 6, 2025 10:01:09 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Hello Shawn, Mayor Cunningham, Deputy Mayor Morrison, Commissioners Magic, Bode and Fisher Thank you, Shawn, for connecting with Alex Newby regarding the link to the CityCommission meeting 10/24/23 where the 2023 Water Conservation Plan was approved. I did watch the meeting video. Jessica did a great job back then explaining the CIty’s 2023 Water Conservation and Efficiency Plan. However I am a bit confused. The video shows City Commission approved Plan B withResolution 5547 and said to implement it. The City Commissioners were all in favor of moving the “mandatory water efficiency offsets”up from the 2033 start time. Commissioner Coburn stated that this mandatory effort offered the biggest return on water conservation. They asked the City Manager (Mihelich at the time) to look into when this could be startedand get back to them within 6 mos. Jessica was asked if moving the timeline up was possible. She said yes but they would need towork out the administrative, available retrofits & contractor details which would take about 2 yrs.Jessica said this plan could save 1852 AF or 17 GPCD by 2040 - a substantial amount of water. As I understand it, the “mandatory water efficiency offsets” would require that an applicant ona building project either: 1. Bring water rights to the table or2. Offset the total amount of AF needed for the project with water efficiency plumbing, landscaping, etc. Cash -in-lieu would NOT be allowed or used any more. Since the plan was approved and the commission was clear about wanting to get this“mandatory water efficiency offsets” in operation ASAP, doesn’t that mean it was adopted and not just an option. If this plan could take 2yr to get up and running, that would mean it should be in the worksand start the end of 2025 or early 2026. Did the Commission get an update from the City Manager and Water Conservation Staff onthis program? Is Cash-in-lieu still happening? Appreciate your clarifying what is happening with this approved part of Plan B. From Jessica’s presentation this program could save a lot of water for Bozeman. Thank you Kathy Powellpowellgriz@icloud.com 406-600-1164 On Feb 27, 2025, at 1:41 PM, Shawn Kohtz <SKohtz@BOZEMAN.NET> wrote: Hi Kathy, I’m CC’ing the City Clerk (Mike Maas) to help track down the 10/24/23 Commission video for you. To answer your question about the $6,000/acre-foot of water: when a development application is reviewed, City staff review calculations for amount of water the development will use on an annual basis. That amount of water is then multiplied by the $6,000/acre-foot number, and the developer is required to pay that amount to the City’s cash-in-lieu fund before the development receives final approval. The City uses that to purchase water rights. We’ve used those funds to purchase Hyalite Reservoir water at a cost of $6,000/acre-foot. That is a one-time cost both to the developer up front and to the City upon purchase of a water right, which purchases the water right in perpetuity. That amount of water then may be used by the City each year. I hope that helps and am happy to provide further clarification. Again, we appreciate your interest and feedback. City of Bozeman MT Shawn Kohtz, PE Utilities Director 406.582.3215skohtz@bozeman.net From: Kathy Powell <powellgriz@icloud.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 3:28 PM To: Shawn Kohtz <SKohtz@BOZEMAN.NET> Cc: Danielle Garber <DGarber@BOZEMAN.NET>; Chris Saunders <csaunders@BOZEMAN.NET> Subject: [EXTERNAL]Re: Following Up on UDC Open House - Water Breakout Session CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Thank you Shawn for so promptly digging into my question about cash in lieu of water rights and 2033 date regarding mandatory water efficiency requirements. I looked at the Water & Conservation Efficiency Plan you referred to and see that is listed as an option to consider. However I am so far unable to find the video minutes for the 10/24/23 city commission meeting where the plan was approved. Wanted to hear what discussion was about this. Will keep looking. I found the info you shared about freeze protecting outlet tower at Hyalite very interesting. Also the looking at natural storage for excess spring runoff could be promising. Kind of confused on charging new developments $6,000/AF of water needed & approved by city. Is that a one time deal or ongoing? Kathy Powell 406-600-1164 Powellgriz@icloud.com Sent from my iPhone Kathy Powell On Feb 25, 2025, at 9:14 AM, Shawn Kohtz <SKohtz@bozeman.net> wrote:  Hi Kathy, I’m writing to follow up on your question about a sunset date for the City’s cash-in-lieu of water rights program yesterday during the UDC Open House – Water breakout session. I did a little more research to figure out where the 2033 date came from. That date was from an option listed in the City’s Water Conservation and Efficiency Plan regarding mandatory water use efficiency offsets. See page 40, Section 5.4 of the plan document (Water Conservation and Efficient Plan). Please note that City Commission has not adopted that option to-date. Therefore, there is currently no sunset date for the cash-in- lieu of water rights program. Thank you for your participation in the UDC open house yesterday and for your feedback. City of Bozeman MT Shawn Kohtz, PE Utilities Director 406.582.3215 skohtz@bozeman.net City of Bozeman emails are subject to the Right to Know provisions of Montana’s Constitution (Art. II, Sect. 9) and may be considered a “public record” pursuant to Title 2, Chpt. 6, Montana Code Annotated. As such, this email, its sender and receiver, and the contents may be available for public disclosure and will be retained pursuant to the City’s record retention policies. Emails that contain confidential information such as information related to individual privacy may be protected from disclosure under law. City of Bozeman emails are subject to the Right to Know provisions of Montana’s Constitution (Art. II, Sect. 9) and may be considered a “public record” pursuant to Title 2, Chpt. 6, Montana Code Annotated. As such, this email, its sender and receiver, and the contents may be available for public disclosure and will be retained pursuant to the City’s record retention policies. Emails that contain confidential information such as information related to individual privacy may be protected from disclosure under law.