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Water district bill was introduced Wednesday
Douglas and Arapahoe County commissioners met with members of regional economic development group Southeast Business Partnership Monday afternoon to work out final details of a water conservation district.
By By: Kiersten J. Mayer
Douglas and Arapahoe County commissioners met with members of regional economic development group Southeast Business Partnership Monday afternoon to work out final details of a water conservation district.
The bill was to be introduced by District 43 Rep. Ted Harvey to the House on Wednesday, assigned to a committee and public hearings scheduled.
"The word the county is getting is this is such an important bill that represents such a significant solution, all early indications are an openness statewide to hear us out," said Wendy Holmes, Douglas County communications director.
"At least this initial draft attempts to represent all interests," Holmes said, adding the largest issue left unresolved from previous meetings is board governance. The bill creates an eight-member board to include four large water providers, two county commissioners, one rural water representative and the last board member will be elected by small water providers.
"With eight board members, you have to have five to pass anything and I think, finally, everybody felt comfortable with that," said Douglas County Commissioner Steve Boand. "The four large water providers are a (voting) block on the board and they then have to convince one other representative of their position. It's going to be a great mechanism for encouraging communication."
The issue of weighted votes went away because of the final structure of the eight-member board, and each vote on the board will be an equal vote, Holmes said. This is key, she said, especially for those interested in making sure the rural parts of the county have representation.
"This is a county-wide conservation district that should represent the entire county," said Holmes.
Boand said by working with water suppliers, Arapahoe County commissioners and rural interests, Douglas County found what the water districts really cared about.
There was concern among some water providers about the way rural water users would participate financially, and there's been discussion of creating of a rural water association that would address financing, said Holmes.
"The issue is not in the legislation, but the commissioners have promised to work with the district to create," she said.
Contact Kiersten J. Mayer at
kmayer@ccnewspapers.net.
The bill was to be introduced by District 43 Rep. Ted Harvey to the House on Wednesday, assigned to a committee and public hearings scheduled.
"The word the county is getting is this is such an important bill that represents such a significant solution, all early indications are an openness statewide to hear us out," said Wendy Holmes, Douglas County communications director.
"At least this initial draft attempts to represent all interests," Holmes said, adding the largest issue left unresolved from previous meetings is board governance. The bill creates an eight-member board to include four large water providers, two county commissioners, one rural water representative and the last board member will be elected by small water providers.
"With eight board members, you have to have five to pass anything and I think, finally, everybody felt comfortable with that," said Douglas County Commissioner Steve Boand. "The four large water providers are a (voting) block on the board and they then have to convince one other representative of their position. It's going to be a great mechanism for encouraging communication."
The issue of weighted votes went away because of the final structure of the eight-member board, and each vote on the board will be an equal vote, Holmes said. This is key, she said, especially for those interested in making sure the rural parts of the county have representation.
"This is a county-wide conservation district that should represent the entire county," said Holmes.
Boand said by working with water suppliers, Arapahoe County commissioners and rural interests, Douglas County found what the water districts really cared about.
There was concern among some water providers about the way rural water users would participate financially, and there's been discussion of creating of a rural water association that would address financing, said Holmes.
"The issue is not in the legislation, but the commissioners have promised to work with the district to create," she said.
Contact Kiersten J. Mayer at
kmayer@ccnewspapers.net.
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