Page 7 - MAR PROOF 5 2019 - The Castle Pines Connection

Water and
CastlePinesConnection.com 7
Chamber speaker series promotes nancial preparedness
Caption and photo by Terri Wiebold
More than 100 guests gathered at Cielo at Castle Pines last month to become better educated and prepared in the event of unexpected independence. The panel of guest speakers included an estate planning attorney, an insurance planner and a private wealth advisor, each of whom shared their knowledge and expertise and provided tools for being better prepared for the unexpected. Guest speakers above, left to right include: Katie James, Greg Seigal and Laura Maclannis.
wastewater service-
consolidation study
underway
Information provided by CPNMD
The Castle Pines North Metropolitan District (CPNMD) Board of Directors voted unanimously last month to engage in a collaborative study with Parker Water & Sanitation District to maximize e ciencies and economies of scale in all service areas.
A wastewater service-consolidation study will allow CPNMD to “ esh out the terms and conditions under which our respective boards of directors might consider water and wastewater service consolidation and the degree to which doing so may or may not make nancial sense for the people of our respective communities,” stated CPNMD District Manager Jim Worley.
In his remarks to the board, Worley reminded those present of several “compelling, obvious, and relevant facts and associated renewable water alternatives” that in his professional opinion, the district and its consultants had failed to acknowledge
in years past, much less evaluate.” Worley provided the following examples:
• When built out, The Canyons
development (located on the east side of I-25 and adjacent to Rueter-Hess Reservoir) will essentially double the size of the City of Castle Pines.
• CPNMD owns 1,500-acre feet of raw- water storage in Rueter-Hess Reservoir.
• The Parker Water & Sanitation
District owns and operates Rueter- Hess Reservoir and is the water and wastewater service provider for what will soon be the new half of the City of Castle Pines.
According to Director Denise Crew, Worley’s remarks conveyed in a compelling way the rationale for collaborating with a much larger neighbor to assess the value
of service-consolidation. “Through the process of this study, both sides can work together to identify and evaluate potential e ciencies, economies of scale, and the costs and bene ts of integrating our water and wastewater service delivery. This study will be a major step forward.”
Director Robert Merritt had a slightly di erent take. “In the interest of managing expectations, I o er a word of cautious optimism,” he said. “We won’t know for several months what the study will reveal. However, I want Castle Pines residents to be con dent that our support for evaluating this alternative is rooted in our intent to secure the community’s renewable water future wisely and at less cost than the voter-rejected plans of recent years.”
CPNMD President David McEntire shared the optimism, “The water and wastewater service-consolidation study with Parker Water demonstrates forward progress for this board, for the district, and most importantly, for the people we serve and represent.”
To view a video of Worley’s presentation in its entirety, visit cpnmd.org/board-meetings.