To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
Through: David L. Corliss, Town Manager
From: Mark Marlowe, PE, Director of Castle Rock Water
Title
Informational Item Pertaining to the Proposed Senate Bill SB23-267 Concerning Protecting Water Quality in Chatfield Reservoir and the Watershed
Body
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Executive Summary
In November 2022, the Chatfield Watershed Authority contracted with lobbyists Steve Balcerovich and Amy Attwood (Lobbyists) to identify a funding source and introduce a fee bill during the 2023 Colorado Legislative Session to address a $1.2 million shortfall over the next five years in Authority funding needed to address water quality issues at the reservoir and within the watershed. The Lobbyists worked with the Authority to identify that a water quality fee which mimics that which is applied through state statute at Cherry Creek State Park would cover the funding shortfall needed over the five-year term. A late bill was authorized and introduced on the senate floor on April 4, 2023 (Attachment A) proposing the water quality fee to be paid by visitors of Chatfield State Park in the amount of $1 per vehicle per day or $3 per annual pass, collected by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and distributed to the Authority on a quarterly basis. The proposed bill is anticipated to generate approximately $250,000 annually and includes a repeal date of January 1, 2029 on the basis of the currently justified needs of the Authority.
Attachments
Staff Report
Attachment A: Draft Water Quality Fee Bill SB23-267
Attachment B: Factsheet