John Scarffe, Nederland.     The Nederland Board of Trustees agreed to study utility rates and appointed new members to advisory boards during the regular meeting on Tuesday, July 1, at 7 p.m. at the Nederland Community Center.

City Treasurer and Public Trustee Eva Forberger said they have been thinking about doing a water and sewer rate study for a number of years.

“We have the water plant in place and this is the time for a rate study,” Forberger said. The City wants to address the current water survey and water funds. The bid request was sent to six firms, and the project is budgeted for 2014.

Raftelis Financial Consultants submitted a proposal in early May. The firm has done 90 studies and had stellar references. The City budgeted $24,000, and the bid came in at $25,000.

John Gallagher, principal consultant and project director on this job for the firm, said he has been working in financial studies in Colorado since 1987. “We’re dealing with the most sustainable thing you have in town, and that’s your utilities,” he said.

“You use about 3,500 gallons of water per month. Along the Front Range, they are using 8,000 gallons or higher. They can sell their water at a cheaper rate, but they have to collect some money, and so do you.”

The schedule for the study would begin in early July with a contract end date of December 31, 2014. The Board agreed to sign the contract.

PROSAB, Planning appointments

The Council appointed Jodi Connelly to fill a vacancy on the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Advisory Board. She will fill the vacancy created when Laurie Enke left at the end of June.

Connelly told the Board she has been a 25-year classroom teacher. She has lived in Nederland for two years and works with environmental issues. “Conserving our natural environment is very important to me,” she said.

The Board also approved Stephanie Harris to an appointment on the Nederland Planning Commission. “I moved to Nederland two years ago and saw so much potential, and the opportunity to be part of how that community grows is very exciting,” she said.

Tabled issues

A  proposal was brought forward to permit a “Buds and Brews” festival on September 6,. The proposal was discussed and tabled.

The vendor issue was also discussed, and will be reported in a later story in The Mountain Ear.

The next meeting of the Nederland Board of Trustees will be on Tuesday, July 15, 2014, at 7 p.m. at the Nederland Community Center, 750 Highway 72, Nederland, CO.

New PPROSAB member

The Board appointed Jodi Connelly to fill a vacancy on the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Advisory Board. She will fill the vacancy created when Laurie Enke left at the end of June.