Town lobbies DOLA for meter funds


CENTER— Center Town Administrator Brian Lujan and Public Works Director David Mahaffie attended hearings held in the Denver area by the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) last week to present the town’s case for $1million in funding needed to install water meters.
Cost of the project is estimated at about $2 million but could dip below that amount. Center is approved for the $1 million grant but must compete with other communities for these funds, so the actual amount may be less than what the town is approved to receive.
The purpose of the visit was for the two officials to offer input on the reasons Center should be considered for a full grant. All the needs of the town were presented at the hearing and Lujan and Mahaffie were able to explain that Center is a prime candidate for the loan.
“We don’t have any answers yet, but things sounded very positive,” Lujan said in a phone interview Monday. “We’re shooting for the stars.”
Water metering in Center will begin sometime this spring. Iconergy director Carl Hurst, the consultant who has been handling the town’s water meter project, said during a public hearing last month the state is encouraging all communities to install water meters to better track consumption.
Hurst commended the town for their initial DOLA grant proposal, saying they had done a good job of explaining why they need to keep water rates low for town residents.
The town must install meters to comply with state law. In working with water augmentation officials on the town’s water supply, town attorney Mike Trujillo says it is clear the town must cut back on their water usage.  
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is performing the project in stages as funding becomes available. Hurst said each water tap will eventually have a meter on it by late spring and into the summer, if funding is not delayed.
Cost of the project is estimated at about $2 million, but could dip below that amount, Hurst said. The town is approved for a $1 million Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) grant but has not yet received it, and Hurst reminded the board they are competing with other communities for these funds.
Hurst commended the town for their DOLA grant proposal, saying they had done a good job of explaining why they need to keep water rates low for town residents. Even without the grant funds, Hurst noted that Center’s water rates still would be lower than most communities in Colorado.
Mahaffie said “there is a lot of paperwork” involved in installing the system. He estimated the town is currently using about 258 million gallons of water each year.