Water Documenters: Read meeting notes from the Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake & Sandy

Attendance:

Present:

Tom Godfrey - Chair (Via Zoom)

John Kirkham - Vice Chair

Patricia Comarell - Secretary

Donald Milne - Chair of Engineering Committee

Cindy Cromer

Absences:

John Mabey Jr. - Chair of Management Advisory Committee

Joan Degiorgio - Chair of Environmental Committee

Addendum for Sam Park West Reservoir and Terminal Reservoir Easement Agreement

Ammon Allen, the engineering manager at the Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake & Sandy, explained that Salt Lake City is adding a valve to the Terminal Reservoir at the base of Parleys Canyon. There was an easement agreement in 2012 involving the district with Salt Lake City, which this would update. This addendum insures the water district for liability coverage and also clarifies ownership and operation responsibilities. The addendum was already approved by Salt Lake City, so it only needs to be approved by the district for it to be official.

Aqueduct Resilience Grant Agreement with the State of Utah

The Utah Division of Water Resources has awarded $1.4 million, which will fund the design for a replacement of three pipe segments totaling over 1,483 feet. These pipes were addressed in the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan and sit on a fault line.  This grant will be a part of the fiscal year 2025 plans, but a consultant will be selected in June of 2024.

Davenport Consulting Contract for Salt Lake Aqueduct Replacement (SLAR) Right of Way

A consulting firm named Davenport was being subcontracted by the firm and engineers who were working on this project. This contract will move their services so they are directly tied to the Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake and Sandy (MWDSLS).The right-of-way acquisitions are where property or easements is acquired in order to complete the given project. The district wants to be the sole-source contractor for Davenport.

Kimley-Horn’s Task Order for Public Engagement.

In a recent meeting, the district approved a five-year contract with Kimley-Horn. The scope of their services is focused around community relations. The particular task order will last for a year involving the Salt Lake Aqueduct Replacement project, where the consultant will lead weekly engagement meetings, send weekly construction update emails and several other activities connecting with stakeholders. Patricia Comarell, the secretary on the board of trustees, was interested in where Kimley-Horn would perform their community meetings. She was worried that if they conducted the meetings at the Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake and Sandy, they would have poor community turnout.

Additional Notes

The snow year continues to be very successful. Utah is currently at the median peak for winter precipitation. There will likely be more precipitation which means that this year will rank above the median for the past 10 years.

What Passed

• Consider approval of Addendum No. 1 to Sam Park West Reservoir and Terminal Reservoir Easement Agreement (Tab 1)
• Consider approval of Aqueduct Resilience Grant Agreement with the Utah Division of Water Resources (Tab 1)
• Consider approval of professional services agreement and Task Order No. 1 with Davenport Consulting for right-of-way acquisition services (Tab 1)
• Consider approval of Task Order No. 1 with Kimley-Horn for public engagement on the Cottonwoods Connection project (Tab 1)
• Consider approval of Board Meeting minutes dated February 26, 2024 (Tab 2) (With the fix of a small typo)
• Close session for pending or reasonably imminent litigation

Everything passed unanimously.

Water Documenters is a collaboration between The Salt Lake Tribune and City Bureau and funded through grants from the Great Salt Lake Collaborative and the Rita Allen Foundation. College student journalists from all over Utah are hired to attend and take notes at public water meetings in Utah. These notes are then published for anyone to read or use. The project is aimed at providing better public access to meetings where major decisions are made about a limited Utah resource. For more meeting notes, click here. For more information, click here.

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