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S P E C I A L D I S T R I C T A S S O C I AT I O N O F C O L O R A D O

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

Another Attendance Record Broken at this Year’s SDA Annual Conference!

2 SPECIAL DISTRICT ASSOCIATION OF COLORADO | 303.863.1733 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

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Unless otherwise noted, all photos are ©2017 iStock.com. Designed by Emmett Jordan, Briggsdale, Colo.

Board of DirectorsPresident Jim KullhemProspect Recreation & Park District Vice PresidentMitch Chambers Southgate Sanitation District TreasurerSusan Saint Vincent Elbert County Library District Secretary Jim Whitfield Apex Park and Recreation DistrictExecutive Vice President James P. CollinsCollins Cockrel & Cole

Sue Blair Cottonwood Greens Metropolitan District #5James Borland Fort Collins/Loveland Water DistrictKent BoschUpper Thompson Sanitation District Leo Johnson Southwest Suburban Denver Water and Sanitation District Larry MooreEagle Bend Metropolitan District No.2

Kathy MorrisDurango Fire Protection District

Bill Simmons Eagle River Water and Sanitation District

Staff

Ann Terry Executive DirectorMeredith QuarlesDirector of OperationsMichael ValdezDirector of PolicyMegan LippardEditor and Communications ManagerAnthoney SandovalMembership Services CoordinatorGeorgia KraemerAdministrative Services CoordinatorChris JonesProgram Coordinator Susan ThorntonContributor

Six Current SDA Board Members Re-Elected for New TermEach year at the SDA Annual Business Meeting, an election is held for the SDA Board of Directors. At this year’s Annual Business Meeting, held on Thursday, September 14, six incumbent mem-bers of the SDA Board were up for election. They were:

» Sue Blair Cottonwood Greens Metropolitan District No.5

» Jim Borland Fort Collins-Loveland Water District

» Jim Kullhem Prospect Recreation and Park District

» Larry Moore Eagle Bend Metropolitan District No.2

» Kathy Morris Durango Fire Protection District

» Susan Saint Vincent Elbert County Library District

The term of office for SDA Board members is two years, and no more than two Directors can be elected from any type of district. The SDA bylaws also require that each of the five re-gions of Colorado be represented with at least one Director.

No additional nominations were received prior to the An-nual Business Meeting, and there were no nominations from the floor during the meeting. As a result, the incumbents were reelected by proclamation.

“This year’s nominees are highly qualified and passionate about serving the membership, and we are looking forward to another exciting year,” said Ann Terry, SDA’s Executive Director.

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We are thrilled to announce that the 2017 SDA Annual Conference, held September 13-15 in Keystone, broke last year’s record attendance! This year we were delight-ed to welcome 1,091 attendees, a new all-time high!

This year we offered 58 breakout sessions over the course of the three day event, fea-turing over 100 different speakers! These sessions covered a wide-variety of topics, from very technical subjects to overarching issues that apply to all district types.

Another Attendance Record Broken at this Year’s SDA Annual Conference!

The Presentation of the Colors took place on Wednesday morning.

Chief TJ Steck from Elizabeth Fire Protection District seems to have had a rowdy audience at his session.

Left to right: Jim Collins from Collins Cockrel & Cole and Pete Webb from Webb Strategic Communications spoke on how to merge districts (or not).

Evan Goulding addressed the important topics of TABOR and the Gallagher Amendment.

Left to right: Michael Valdez, SDA’s Director of Policy; Ann Terry, SDA’s Executive Director; and Mark Carlson, President of T. Charles Wilson Insurance Service

4 SPECIAL DISTRICT ASSOCIATION OF COLORADO | 303.863.1733 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 20174 SPECIAL DISTRICT ASSOCIATION OF COLORADO | 303.863.1733 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

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Our Exhibit Hall was once again full, with 38 exhibitors joining us. Combined with our 17 Platinum Sponsors and our 27 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Sponsors, we had tremendous support from our spon-sors and exhibitors again this year.

On Wednesday afternoon, the new Recharge Break proved to be a popular addition to the schedule. Attendees were able to relax on the beautiful Conference Center patio and enjoy music with Randall McKinnon. This was the perfect way to un-wind from the full day of sessions and to get ready for the Opening Night Extravaganza.

Randall McKinnon provided perfect background music for the new Recharge Break.

Rick Chase and Kirsten Strausbaugh from Colorado PERA, a Gold Sponsor

Ann Terry and former SDA Board Member Pat Mulhern enjoyed a laugh at Wednesday’s Recharge Break while posing with Pat’s photo in the Conference program.

The staff from the Colorado Special Districts Property and Liability Pool, a Platinum Sponsor, enjoyed visiting with attendees.

Joe Carroll from COLOTRUST, a Platinum Sponsor, answers questions during a break between sessions.

Jennifer Gruber Tanaka from White Bear Ankele Tanaka & Waldron listens to an audience question during a breakout session.

Shelley Row, Wednesday’s Leadership Lunch keynote speaker

As always, the Conference was a great opportunity for attendees to catch up with other professionals from the special district world.


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At the Opening Night Extravaganza, we welcomed our new band, The Wash Park Band, and they were a smash hit! From the very get-go they had the crowd up and on their feet, filling the dance floor until the end. Their wide range of music was the perfect backdrop for the trivia contest as well. A fun night was had by all!

Thursday morning got off to an amaz-ing start with a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem sung by Leah Shafer.

We were pleased to welcome Irv Halter, Executive Director of the Colorado De-partment of Local Affairs, as the keynote speaker at this year’s SDA Annual Meet-ing. He spoke on the importance of diplo-macy in local government and leading in difficult economies, and he shared valuable lessons from his career in the United States Air Force with attendees.

Left to right: Megan Lippard, SDA’s Editor and Communications Manager; Michael Valdez, SDA’s Director of Policy; and Meredith Quarles, SDA’s Director of Operations

This year’s winning trivia team!

Leah Shafer

Irv Halter, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs

The SDA Board listened intently to Mr. Halter’s presentation at the SDA Annual Meeting.

A fun time was had by all at the Opening Night Extravaganza!

Ann Terry, SDA’s Executive Director, and Will Snider from Platinum Sponsor ANB Bank kick-off the trivia contest.

8 SPECIAL DISTRICT ASSOCIATION OF COLORADO | 303.863.1733 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 20178 SPECIAL DISTRICT ASSOCIATION OF COLORADO | 303.863.1733 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 8 SPECIAL DISTRICT ASSOCIATION OF COLORADO | 303.863.1733 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 20178 SPECIAL DISTRICT ASSOCIATION OF COLORADO | 303.863.1733 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

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The Thursday Evening Reception was another great opportunity to mingle with colleagues and enjoy good food and conversation after the busy day. The Re-ception also featured the balloon drop, and thanks to our Platinum Sponsors, there were 17 balloons with a $100 bill inside. Everyone was clamoring for their chance to find one of the lucky balloons!

On Friday, we were able to make some minor adjustments to the schedule to al-low for three full tracks of sessions in the morning. That was 15 different classes to choose from on this day alone!

There was plenty of excitement at the prospect of finding one of the balloons filled with a $100 bill!

Staff from CliftonLarsonAllen, a Gold Sponsor, enjoyed meeting attendees in the Exhibit Hall.

Trisha Harris from White Bear Ankele Tanaka & Waldron joined co-presenters Jennifer Gruber Tanaka and Heather Hartung to discuss how special districts and HOAs interact.

Peter Jensen, the keynote speaker at the Pool’s Annual Membership Meeting, spoke on the important role professional coaching can play in an organization.

SDA Board President Jim Kullhem welcomes everyone to Thursday’s breakfast.

One of the lucky winners from the balloon drop!

Left to right: Diane Zile from JERA Partnerships and Ann Terry, SDA’s Executive Director. Diane led a fascinating breakout session on leading and developing high impact leaders for a sustainable future.

Staff members from SIPA, a Gold Sponsor, with Irv Halter, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs


All and all it was another successful Conference! We’re already making plans for next year so mark your calendar to join us, September 12-14, 2018 back up in Keystone!

A huge thanks to Kelly Shroads and Erin Waynick from Kelly Shroads Photography for perfectly capturing this year’s Conference!

Tami Evans, the keynote speaker at Friday’s lunch, shares a laugh with attendees.

Keynote speaker Mark Sharenbroich’s antics were hilarious while his presentation was thought-provoking.

Left to right: Megan Lippard, SDA’s Editor and Communications Manager, and Ann Terry, SDA’s Executive Director

Left to right: Ann Terry, SDA’s Executive Director, with Kelly Shroads


Congratulations to the 2017

James T. Walker Leadership

Scholarship Winner!SDA is pleased to congratulate Am-ber Pacheco from the Rio Grande Water Conservation District as this year’s James T. Walker Leadership Scholarship winner! Amber was recognized as the 2017 winner at the James T. Walker Leadership Lunch during the recent SDA An-nual Conference.

The James T. Walker Leader-ship Scholarship is presented in honor of former SDA Board Member James T. Walker to an SDA member who demonstrates the Association’s high standard of leadership.

Congratulations, Amber!

Conference guests show off their masterpieces from the painting class on Thursday afternoon.

Members of the Wash Park Band take a quick break for a photo with Conference attendees.

Collaboration Award winners with Ann Terry, SDA’s Executive Director. Left to right: Mike Rogers from Colorado Professional Fire Fighters, Chief Don Lombardi from Colorado State Fire Chiefs, and Garry Briese from Colorado State Fire Chiefs

Colorado State Demographer Elizabeth Garner was Friday morning’s keynote speaker.

Chief Ron Bateman from Front Range Fire Rescue Authority led a breakout session on unanswered questions in leadership.

2017 Conference

Keynotes are Perfect

Complement to Breakout

SessionsThe keynote speakers at this year’s An-nual Conference were both entertaining and educational. Combined with the 58 breakout sessions that were offered over the course of the three days, these speak-ers rounded out the Conference perfectly.

Wednesday’s Leadership Lunch pre-sentation with Shelley Row offered prac-tical tips on how to leverage neuroscience

to find the key balance between cogni-tion and intuition in decision-making. “Go with Your Gut: Effective Decision-Mak-ing in an Over-Thinking World” was in-teractive and enlightening!

Thursday morning started off on a high note with Mark Scharenbroich’s hilarious presentation “Making Mean-ingful Connections.” Mark not only had the audience rolling in the aisles, but he also offered thought-provoking

ideas on connecting with people in our lives. People were talking about Mark’s “Nice Bike” concept well after breakfast was done, a sure sign of the lasting im-pression he made!

Ross Shafer provided attendees at Thursday’s lunch many pertinent and beneficial strategies to apply at their dis-trict, including how to relate to people

who have varying ideas. His presentation, “How to Stay Relevant,” was not only in-sightful, but it was also hysterical!

On Friday morning, Elizabeth Gar-ner’s presentation was chock-full of helpful and fascinating demographic information. “Population Trends and Transitions: Developing a Blueprint for Success” covered a wide variety of issues of importance for special districts now and into the future.

This year’s Conference came to a fit-ting end with Tami Evans’s Friday lunch presentation. “Rules for Life’s Great Adventure: Making the Most of Your Journey” had everything from funny sto-ries to reminders about the importance of gratitude and giving thanks to people in our lives. Tami was a fantastic end to an-other amazing SDA Annual Conference!

Shelley Row

Mark Scharenbroich

Ross Shafer

Elizabeth Garner

Tami Evans

Ross Shafer’s presentation, “How to Stay Relevant,” was not only insightful, but it was also hysterical!



Congratulations to the 2017 SDA Annual Award Winners!

The 2017 SDA Annual Awards presen-tation took place during the recent Annual Conference, and it was once again a wonderful opportunity to hon-

or outstanding districts, board members, and managers.

Left to right; Larry Moore, President of the Board of the Colorado Special Districts Property and Liability Pool, presents the District Safety Award to Brian Woods, District Manager for Clifton Sanitation District.

The first award was presented to Clif-ton Sanitation District as the inaugural winner of the new Safety District of the Year Award. This award is presented to the District that has best demonstrated a commitment to safety that exceeds the ex-pectations of its employees, the District’s Board, the Colorado Special Districts Prop-erty and Liability Pool, and its partners. The winners of this award are recognized for maintaining a work culture that prioritizes safety at every level.

Clifton Sanitation embodies the spirit of this program by maximizing the Pool's loss prevention resources and placing a proac-tive emphasis on their safety program. To-gether, their ten employees have complet-ed more than 150 hours of online training and participated in numerous in-person sessions. The District has demonstrated leadership and commitment to the safety of their employees and their community.

Left to right: SDA Board President Jim Kullhem congratulates Pat Mulhern on his award for 23 years of dedicated service to the SDA Board of Directors.

Next we were pleased to honor Pat Mul-hern, who retired from the SDA Board of Directors in June of this year. Pat first joined the Board in 1994, and through-out his 23 years of service, Pat has fulfilled his duties in exemplary fashion, including serving as Board President twice. Pat has been an engaged and thoughtful mem-ber of the Board, taking into consideration the wide ranging interests of SDA’s district members when considering an issue. He has also demonstrated strong leadership and professionalism in his role. In addition, Pat has provided his expert knowledge, keen insight, and years of experience to the decision making process of the SDA Board. He has had a very positive impact on SDA as a whole, from the successful leg-islative direction of the Association to the effectiveness of the Annual Conference. Pat also recommended the creation of the Annual SDA Collaboration Award as a way to honor the work of public and private or-ganizations. Pat’s talents and efforts have been spread across not only SDA, but also several other nonprofits that are near and dear to his heart. For over two decades, Pat has been a committed and loyal supporter of SDA, and his tireless work on behalf of special districts across the state has made Colorado a better place.

This year’s four Collaboration Award win-ners were honored next. Collaborations can play a key role in the success of any district, whether on a single project or in achieving long term goals. This year we were proud to present four Collaboration Awards to districts who have effectively partnered with other entities and local governments to form successful working relationships for the good of their citizens.

Left to right: Jim Kullhem with Joe DePaepe and Jenniffer Alvarado from the Colorado Special Districts Property and Liability Pool, Evan Goulding from SDA, Chief Don Lombardi and Garry Briese from Colorado State Fire Chiefs, and Mike Rogers from Colorado Professional Fire Fighters.

The first winners in this category were the Colorado Special Districts Property and Liability Pool, Colorado State Fire Chiefs, and Colorado Professional Fire Fighters. Statutory changes enacted in 2007 estab-lished a rebuttable presumption in the state workers’ compensation system that certain types of cancer, when contracted by firefighters, are a workers’ compensa-tion issue. Nine years later, experience showed that this rebuttable presumption had produced no demonstrable benefits to firefighters. Firefighters who contract-ed cancer had little success in recovering under this presumption, and they had ex-tensive delays and unwarranted litigation costs. Recognizing that another option for covering these cancer claims would be highly beneficial for everyone, the Colo-rado Special Districts Property and Liabil-


ity Pool, the Colorado State Fire Chiefs, Colorado Professional Fire Fighters, and SDA began working together to find a leg-islative solution to these issues that would work for everyone. The result was Senate Bill 17-214, which enables the creation of a trust to provide supplemental income and reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs not otherwise paid for by insurance coverage to firefighters who contract covered can-cers. The creation of this trust also helps eliminate exorbitant litigation costs and re-duces the costs of workers’ compensation insurance for employers of firefighters. A number of fire districts and departments are already utilizing the benefits provided by the trust, known as the Colorado Fire-fighter Heart and Cancer Benefits Trust, in lieu of workers’ compensation. The stead-fast commitment of all the groups involved in this collaboration ensures the kind of quality care firefighters deserve.

Left to right: Jim Kullhem smiles with Hyland Hills Board Member Chris Dittman, Executive Director Yvonne Fischbach, and Board President Tom Lynch, and Berkeley Water and Sanitation District’s Treasurer, Craig Jones, as they accept the Collaboration Awards on behalf of their districts.

The next Collaboration Award was pre-sented to Hyland Hills Park and Recre-ation District and Berkeley Water and Sanitation District. Since its establish-ment in 1955, Hyland Hills has maintained a collaborative team approach to its oper-ations, yielding numerous unique and suc-cessful partnerships. A prime example of this continued collaboration and resulting success is the Clear Creek Valley Park, a project which began 15 years ago and was completed at the end of 2016. This park project is the result of partnerships where the ultimate common goals were to build an amazing, unique regional park that would revive a beloved historical area in a way that captures the history and dignity of times past. Of the many numerous com-munity organizations who were involved, one of the key partnerships in the project

was between Hyland Hills and Berkeley Water and Sanitation District. Berkeley worked together with Hyland Hills to fulfill a requirement of building a 12-inch water line through the park to serve Berkeley customers. Moreover, Berkeley contrib-uted a portion of the tap fees to offset the cost and provide a much-needed water loop for better fire protection. The highly effective working relationship developed by Hyland Hills and Berkeley was one of the key factors in the overall success of the park, which will benefit residents and visi-tors alike for years to come.

Dave Irish, District Manager for Southgate Water District, was thrilled to accept the District’s Collaboration Award.

Our third winner in this category was South-gate Water District. Following several meetings between Southgate and the City of Greenwood Village, the District learned that the City had plans to completely reha-bilitate a road within the City. Upon learn-ing of these plans, Southgate recognized the opportunity to collaborate with the City to replace the waterline at the same time as the road construction. This joint capital project allowed for the roadway work and the waterline replacement to be bid under one package, resulting in overall savings for both the District and the City. It also al-lowed both entities to share costs for things such as traffic control, and there was far less disruption to the area than if two separate projects were done. As a result of this suc-cessful collaboration, Southgate Sanitation District also assumed responsibility for the Greenwood Village Sewer Improvement District, which allows the City to focus on other city services and Southgate to add to its customer base. Moreover, the District and the City will continue to seek opportu-nities to partner on projects to save money where possible and most importantly, to reduce the impact of future capital work on their residents.

SDA Board President Jim Kullhem shares a laugh with Kip Petersen, General Manager for Donala Water and Sanitation District, as he accepts the Collaboration Award on behalf of Donala and Triview Metropolitan District.

Our final Collaboration Award was pre-sented to Triview Metropolitan District and Donala Water and Sanitation Dis-trict. Triview and Donala began their of-ficial collaboration with the building of a joint wastewater treatment facility in 1987, followed by a major upgrade and expan-sion in 2009. As the Districts have grown, they have also established water connec-tions to serve their residents in the event of an emergency. Triview and Donala are also developing long term plans for the future to ensure that their residents will continue to have water. As part of a regional water study, the two Districts are working toward renewable water delivery and storage in the vicinity of their Districts. Triview and Donala have also participated in engineer-ing studies designed to determine the most cost effective means to transport and exchange water resources. The ongoing dedication of Triview and Donala can be seen not only in the day-to-day operations of both Districts, but also in their commit-ment to the future needs of their citizens.


For this year’s Manager of the Year Award, we chose four very deserving managers who have demonstrated out-standing leadership and commitment. They each have made extraordinary con-tributions to their district.

Steve Colby proudly receives his Manager of the Year Award.

The first manager honored was Steve Col-by from Morrison Creek Metropolitan Water and Sanitation District. Steve was hired as the District Manager in 1985, six years after the District had gone into bank-ruptcy due to the bankruptcy of the de-veloper. He was able to guide the District through 15 years of difficult financial times until the District came out of bankruptcy in 2000. Ensuring the continued smooth op-eration of the District during those years was one of Steve’s greatest challenges. He rose to the occasion with limited resources, maintaining the District’s infrastructure in prime condition for its customers. Thanks to his tireless work, the District also came out of bankruptcy with its financial health intact. In addition, under Steve’s leader-ship the District has recently put in place a number of efficiencies, including online bill payment for customers, automation of well monitoring and plant operations, and the implementation of a website that car-ries notices of Board meetings, agendas, Board meeting minutes, and any activities that may impact District customers. Steve also utilizes his technical expertise in the ongoing oversight and day-to-day main-tenance of the District’s wells, plants, and hydrants, always to the highest standards. He has also developed plans and guide-lines for the maintenance of the District’s infrastructure and its operations, staying ahead of the curve in order to continuous-ly provide the best possible services to the District’s customers.

Our next winner in this category was John Ey from the Florida Water Conservancy District. John has been the Superinten-dent of the District for the last 40 years. In addition to overseeing the District as a whole, his primary responsibility has been managing Lemon Reservoir. The Florida River, which passes through the reservoir, is the primary source of the municipal wa-ter supply for the City of Durango. John has demonstrated exceptional manage-ment in all aspects of the maintenance of the reservoir. During the replacement of the release gate system, John led the intensive efforts to maintain reservoir re-leases during the underwater replace-ment of upstream gates. While the main gates were inoperable, John contracted dive teams and provided barge access for the delivery of needed equipment for the replacement parts as well as for the pump-ing to sustain downstream water supplies for the city. John’s experience also served well in the critical timing for the comple-tion of off-site gate manufacture—and re-manufacture—during the critical period between ice melt and heavy spring inflow. Moreover, during the catastrophic 2002 Missionary Ridge Fire in Durango, John educated himself on emergency rehabili-tation for burned areas. This forward think-ing approach helped expedite the critical stabilization and protection measures for the reservoir following the fire. In 2012, thanks in large part to his steadfast efforts and work on the reservoir, John received the Upper Colorado Regional Director’s Award of Excellence from the Bureau of Reclamation. The Lemon Reservoir is vital for the local community, and John is the key to its ongoing successful operation.

Jim Jamsay was all smiles as he accepted his Manager of the Year Award.

Jim Jamsay from the North Washing-ton Street Water and Sanitation District was honored next. Jim served as the Dis-trict Manager from 1979 to 1985 and has now served in this position from 2000 to the present. Among a wide variety of other responsibilities, Jim has overseen the pre-ventive maintenance of the District’s wa-ter and sewer lines, which has increased the quality of service and resulted in cost reductions. He has also managed the op-eration and maintenance of a primary wastewater treatment plant. Jim has ac-complished all of this while sustaining an annual budget which provides for capi-tal improvement projects and the ability to hire and train qualified employees, all without having to ask the District’s citi-zens for a bond measure. Moreover, Jim maintains a steadfast philosophy of treat-ing employees with respect and dignity. He holds a number of water and waste-water certifications, which provides him a unique, firsthand understanding of the re-sponsibilities of his employees. This allows him to manage in a positive and respectful manner, and ultimately contributes to the success of the entire district.

Save the date!

2018 SDAAnnual Conference

September 12-14

Keystone, Colorado


Chief Randy Lesher poses with his Manager of the Year Award.

Our final award in this category was pre-sented to Chief Randy Lesher from the Thompson Valley Health Services Dis-trict. Chief Lesher has been with the Dis-trict for 17 years, and during this time, he has made a number of significant contri-butions to the District and the community as a whole. Chief Lesher has developed the emergency medical services district from a small ambulance service of four sta-tions to a health services district which in-cludes EMS response from six stations and which serves 450 square miles. In order to support the fast-growing agency, Chief Lesher has worked with the management team to successfully bring the District from a budget shortfall to a sustainable annual budget. In addition, Chief Lesher pro-moted and led the designation of a “Heart Safe Community” in Loveland. To accom-plish this designation, he partnered with a number of local organizations, includ-ing the Loveland Police Department and Loveland Fire and Rescue, to place and maintain automated external defibrillators in public gathering spots throughout the City of Loveland. Chief Lesher is dedicated to making Thompson Valley the premier health services district in the state, and his compassion and commitment to the Dis-trict’s vision of providing humane, quality care is exemplified in his interactions not only with employees and board members, but with all the citizens of his District.

Much like our other categories, this year we were proud to honor four excep-tional board members with the Board Member of the Year Award. Special dis-trict board members work diligently on behalf of their fellow citizens, and each of our winners embodies this steadfast dedication to their districts and to serv-ing their local communities.

Jim Kullhem presents Teresa Perkins with her Board Member of the Year Award.

The first award was presented to Teresa Perkins who served on the Board of Direc-tors of the Red, White & Blue Fire Protec-tion District for 15 years. Throughout her tenure, Teresa was a champion for the Dis-trict, participating in events within the local community, county, and around the coun-try. In 2005, Teresa was instrumental in transitioning the District from a volunteer organization to a career fire department, a change that was necessary to ensure that the level of service provided by the Dis-trict continued to meet the growing com-munity’s needs and expectations. During the District’s 2017 accreditation renewal, Teresa represented the District at the re-accreditation hearing, and she did such an exemplary job that the Center for Profes-sional Excellence sought her out to meet with board representatives from across the nation to discuss the importance of the accreditation process. In addition, while the District has been rapidly expanding, Teresa has been the strongest advocate for assuring the growth of the District to meet the ever-increasing needs. Teresa approaches issues from both a futuristic and historic point of view to achieve what is always best for the community.

Ken Pfohl was the second Board Member of the Year to receive his award.

Next we honored Ken Pfohl from the Mountain Water and Sanitation District. Ken served as a member of the Board of Directors of the District for 25 years. Dur-ing his many years of service, Ken worked on numerous projects to increase efficien-cy and to meet mandated water quality improvements. He was heavily involved in the efforts to gain support for tax increases to fund a new water treatment plant that removes radionuclides to the current stan-dards as well as a new wastewater treat-ment plant to abide by stream-specific ammonia standards. Ken addresses the difficult questions about every project, making sure they are completed in an eco-nomical, efficient fashion and without un-necessary expenditures. In addition, Ken’s strong management skills helped guide the implementation of a utility plan, a per-sonnel manual, a capital project funding plan, a restructured financial system, and concise monthly financial reporting docu-ments. Ken’s dependable and level-head-ed leadership has been exemplified in his remarkable service to his District.


Jim Kullhem greets Eddie Powell as he receives his award

Our third winner is this category was Ed-die Powell, Chairman of the Board of Di-rectors of the Southwest Suburban Den-ver Water and Sanitation District. Eddie has served on the Board for 31 years, and during his tenure he has successfully maintained a balanced budget, improved the financial position of the District with increased reserves, and has completed a 25 year capital improvement and finan-cial plan which will allow the District to fund capital improvements at more than $4 million. In an attempt to prevent sewer backups, Eddie has also led the District’s work to inspect every home in the District for sump pump installations that were ille-gally discharging into the District’s sanitary sewer system. Moreover, Eddie has cham-pioned the District’s efforts to provide on-going communication with the District’s customers through annual newsletters and a District website where customers have the ability to make online payments and are kept informed about Board meetings, construction projects, budgets, and rate hearings. Eddie is well-known within the District and communicates easily with cus-tomers. His compassion and willingness to listen to alternative views and ideas can be seen in all that he does for the District.

Jim Kullhem and Jim Zimmerman share a smile as Jim accepts his Board Member of the Year Award.

Jim Zimmerman from the Prospect Rec-reation and Park District was the final board member honored. Jim was appoint-ed to the Board of Directors in July 2007, and he became Chair of the Board in 2013. He has continued to serve as Chair since that time. Jim has been an integral part of numerous capital improvements that have been made at Prospect since he came on to the Board. During his ten-ure, Prospect has built Crestview Park and Kendrick Cottage, constructed a major addition to Tanglewood Park, and imple-mented numerous improvements at many of Prospect’s other parks. Jim also assisted the District in negotiating an Intergovern-mental Agreement with Jefferson County Open Space that will allow Prospect and Jeffco Open Space to construct a shared use parking lot on a property owned and managed by the District. Throughout 2015 and 2016, Jim was instrumental in Pros-pect’s acquisition of the Applewood Golf Course from Coors Brewing Co. He led the 2015 ballot initiative that requested voter approval of a $9 million bond issue to pur-chase the golf course. Jim then spent hun-dreds of hours in 2016 meeting with the seller and District constituents, gathering appraisals, negotiating for water to irrigate the property, and raising the remainder of the monies needed to complete the pur-chase (over $4 million in grants). The local community had looked to Prospect to take the lead in protecting the golf course from being developed, and under Jim’s leader-ship, this beautiful and important piece of land will now and forever be a protected recreational amenity and open space.

Jim Kullhem congratulates Library Director Joseph Sanchez who accepted the District of the Year Award on behalf of Mesa County Public Library District.

We were pleased to present our final award to Mesa County Public Library District as this year’s J. Evan Goulding District of the Year. The J. Evan Goulding District of the Year Award was established by the SDA Board of Directors to single out a district that demonstrates exceptional leadership and community spirit. This award recogniz-es a district's major accomplishments, se-ries of outstanding efforts, and a steady de-termination to serve their constituency. This year’s winner, Mesa County Public Library District, truly exemplifies these qualities.

Public libraries in Western towns were almost always started by women citizens eager to provide culture for themselves and their families. This was certainly true of the first library in Grand Junction. In 1898, the Woman’s Library Association opened a subscription library to “anyone whose morals were unquestionably good.” After receiving a donation from Andrew Carn-egie and a pledge from City Council for annual support of a library, the Association worked to open the Grand Junction Public Library on July 5, 1901. The library devel-oped steadily and served the citizens of Grand Junction well, but by the late 1930s, several agencies in Mesa County were attempting to find a way to provide free public library service to rural citizens of the county as well.

Eventually, the Mesa County Public Li-brary was formed, and through the years it took over the operation of community libraries in Clifton, De Beque, and Fruita. In the late 1960s, the Grand Junction Public Library consolidated with the Mesa County Public Library, keeping the Mesa County name. From there, Mesa County continued to improve their facilities and the services available to their citizens. They also took on branches in Collbran,

Palisade, and Gateway.By 1991, the county was no longer able

to continue its support of the library. As a re-sult, the library board petitioned the County Commissioners to form the Mesa County Public Library District (MCPLD), which be-came a legal entity on January 1, 1992.

With its new governance structure in place, the District worked to expand its outreach services. Among other things, the District collaborated with the Mesa County Valley School District to open a branch in Orchard Mesa. They also began a service for their homebound citizens, now known as Words on Wheels.

Today, Mesa County Libraries have gone even further by developing cut-ting-edge opportunities for their pa-trons, such as the 970West Studio. In rec-ognition of the expanding role of public libraries as both providers and produc-ers of content, the studio provides multi-media recording equipment to commu-nity members free of charge and hosts an Artist in Residence program, where local artists have a chance to work in a

professional studio and provide classes to library guests. The studio also digitiz-es local fine arts and is creating a digital collection dedicated to preserving the unique aspects of Mesa County's culture. Elements of the digital collection are cat-aloged with traditional library resources for easy public access. Included in these unique digital resources is a growing col-lection of stories from World War II veter-ans, which have proven popular with the local community.

The District has also developed Wild Colorado, a unique, Colorado-specific wildlife app. It is available for free to the entire State of Colorado and has even been downloaded by international users. The app contains a searchable database of Colorado mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles that lets users identify wildlife they see while they are in the outdoors.

In addition, through a partnership with the Colorado State Library, the District of-fers Career Online High School, an online high school diploma and career certifica-tion program. This program allows partici-

pants to earn an accredited high school diploma while gaining real-world career training. The District is also a partner in Factory, a coworking space in downtown Grand Junction. Through this partnership, other members of Factory have direct access to library classes and resources, which fosters a strong connection with the public as well as additional opportu-nities for advancement.

Mesa County Libraries play a robust and vibrant role in their community. With their traditional offerings as well as their unique and cutting-edge pro-grams, the District continually finds ways to align its services with the needs of li-brary patrons. Through its long history of serving the citizens of Mesa County, the District has demonstrated an unwav-ering commitment to its mission to en-rich lives and build community through opportunities to learn, discover, create, and connect.

The SDA Board of Directors and staff would like to congratulate all of the 2017 award winners!

A Big Thank You to the SDA Annual Conference Volunteers!

Our amazing volunteers play a key role in the success of our Annual Conference each year. We would like to take a mo-ment to say thank you to all the fantastic people who joined us again this year at the registration desk. We couldn’t do it without your help! Below is a list of the 2017 Conference vol-unteers:

» Carmen Barker from Bear Creek Water and Sanitation District

» Ross Blackmer from Carbon Valley Park and Recreation District

» Karen Byrd from Alameda Water and Sanitation District » Brendan Campbell from Pinnacle Consulting Group, Inc. » Christine Champlin from Front Range Fire Rescue

Authority » Jim Cox from Lake Dillon Fire Protection District

» Maggie Cox from Lake Dillon Fire Protection District » Micaela Duffy from GVR Metropolitan District » Audrey Fix from Merrick & Company » Tom George from Spencer Fane LLP » Adam Johnsen from the Colorado Special Districts

Property and Liability Pool » Angie Kelly from CRS » Whitney Miller from Park Meadows Business

Improvement District » Shana Morgan from Pinnacle Consulting Group, Inc. » Steve Ravel from Mott MacDonald » Laura Savage from Pueblo West Metropolitan District » Sean VonRoenn from Eastern Rio Blanco Metropolitan

Recreation and Park District



SDA Platinum Sponsors were: » Colorado Special Districts Property

and Liability Pool » COLOTRUST » Community Resource Services of

Colorado (CRS) » CSAFE » T. Charles Wilson Insurance Service » Collins Cockrel & Cole » Ramey Environmental Compliance » Special District Management

Services, Inc. (SDMS) » Tetra Tech » Gregory and Associates » Spencer Fane LLP » ANB Bank » Colorado Employer Benefit Trust

(CEBT) » Special District Solutions » Tamarack Consulting, LLC » Comcast Business » Siemens-GeoLens

SDA Gold Sponsors were: » High Country Workplace

Technologies » Terracare Associates » Pinnacle Consulting Group, Inc. » TST Infrastructure » Colorado PERA » CliftonLarsonAllen » SIPA » Colorado Water Resources and

Power Development Authority » PFM Asset Management » Wells Fargo » Emerald Isle Landscaping » CPS HR Consulting » Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers

SDA Silver Sponsors were: » Mulhern MRE, Inc. » Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, PC » Colorado State Bank and Trust » White Bear Ankele Tanaka &

Waldron » Stifel » Brown and Caldwell

SDA Bronze Sponsors were: » Butler Snow LLP » Chandler Asset Management » Haynie & Company » Merrick & Company » Farnsworth Group, Inc. » Waterlaw-Patrick, Miller, Noto PC » Barnes Griggs & Associates » Colorado Business Bank

2017 Conference Sponsors Play Key Role in Success!

Colorado Special DistrictsProperty and Liability Pool

©

SDA would like to extend a sincere thank you to all of this year’s sponsors. From the 17 Platinum Sponsors to the numerous Gold, Silver, and Bronze Sponsors, these fantastic

organizations were a huge part of this year’s success.

Gregory and AssociatesFinancial Services


Spencer Fane LLP1700 Lincoln Street, Suite 2000 | Denver, CO 80203

370 17th Street, Suite 4800 | Denver, CO 80202Phone: 303.839.3800 | Fax: 303.839.3838

Spencer Fane is the law firm where your leaders work with our leaders. With over 50 years of special district experience in Colorado, we can handle all of your district’s legal needs. Advancing the interests of your district is our priority.

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Contact: Kennedy/Jenks303.985.3636143 Union Boulevard, Suite 600Lakewood, CO 80228

• Water/Wastewater• Water Reuse/IPR and DPR• Special District Services• Construction Management• Funding Support• Energy Management Services

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Answer: There are several qualities lead-ing to an effective board:

» Open and honest communications

» Trust

» No secret agendas

» Respect for all opinions

» Avoid cliques: Remember, we all ride for the same brand

◊ Cliques that try to line up their votes outside the board meeting will lead to divisions that will start to affect all board interaction and can result in 3—2 votes on every issue

◊ Regular discussions between board members can lead to suspicions among other board members. Such discussions are not wrong, but spread it around, don’t exclude others

◊ Cliques can seriously erode trust among board members

» Avoid ambush: Don’t spring issues or charges by surprise, especially on the Chairman, District Manager, or Chief. If you want an issue discussed, bring it up in a time and manner to provide for review and discussion

when everyone has had a chance to understand the background

» Everyone should strive to keep the focus on POLICY, not minutia

» Board communications must be all-inclusive

» Everyone is responsible for outcome

» Remember, special district boards are non-partisan by design

» The goal is not to WIN, but to come up with GOOD POLICY and arrive at BEST SOLUTIONS.

» A good board seeks to peer into the future, and to set policies to get the district there

» Willing to listen. Seek to find the gem of wisdom in everyone’s contribution to the discussion

» Do not take it personally—deal with ideas, policies, and issues, not personalities

» Learn to disagree without being disagreeable

» Some boards deal with a lot of trivia or administrative details to avoid dealing with a big or controversial issue

» Is it a board issue, or is it a District Manager/Chief’s issue?

» If it has been resolved before, what has changed for us to bring it up again?

» Once a decision is made, it is the decision, and everyone should get behind it and support it. There are no minority reports in good boards.

Evan Goulding, Consultant and former SDA Executive Director.

Ask EvanQuestion: What are qualities that can contribute to an effective Board of Directors?



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Support Biological Lake and Pond Management with “Probiotics”

Guest article by Erin Stewart, Aquatic Biologist at SOLitude Lake Management

There are many sustainable options for the management of lakes and ponds, so it can be difficult to determine which direction to turn when a problem occurs. This is especially true for waterbodies used for recreational activity, irrigation, drinking water storage, or any loca-tion where pesticides or other traditional man-agement methods may be less desirable or restricted. However, all aquatic resources can benefit from proactive applications of natural and biological products. Beneficial bacteria-based products can be used as a pesticide al-ternative or used in conjunction with other products and meth-ods to enhance the efficiency of the treatment.

Bacteria may sound like a bad word in some situations, but these organisms are the foundation of most biological pro-cesses within an aquatic resource. Think of them as probiotics or yogurt for your lake, pond, or reservoir — they are responsible for breaking down and processing organic material in a process called biological augmentation.

When properly introduced, biological augmentation can help limit the impact of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous, which tend to enter waterbodies through runoff containing fer-tilizers, animal waste, and other organic materials. Without prop-er management, these materials may accumulate as sludge at the bottom of your waterbody, causing noxious odors, promot-ing nuisance algae and weed growth, and expediting the water-body’s rate of aging. Over time, costly dredging will be required to restore the health and overall volume of the aquatic resource. When beneficial bacteria are in place, they convert nutrients to forms that cannot fuel nuisance plant growth, promote efficient decomposition, and prevent the accumulation of organic mate-rials. This, in turn, can help diversify the biological community structure by facilitating the development of “good” algae, dia-toms, zooplankton, and healthy fish.

Regular applications of these biologicals can be incredibly fa-vorable and help keep beneficial bacteria concentrations and activity high throughout the year. Depending on the particular

water quality or vegetation issues within your lake, pond, or reservoir, a lake and pond man-agement professional may recommend differ-ent forms of probiotic bacteria, including liq-uid, pellet, or powdered applications.

Liquid bacteria blends are considered high-performance due to their ability to rapidly neu-tralize excessive nutrients that are located within the water column. Liquid blends can help to quickly enhance water clarity and quality. Pellet or granular beneficial bacteria applications con-tain bacteria that naturally settle to the bottom

of a lake or pond to reduce organic materials that cause bottom sludge. In moderate or warm climates, the resulting reduction in accumulated sediment can be significant.

Beneficial bacteria are an excellent solution for the reduc-tion of excessive nutrient rich organic matter that cause bottom sludge and nuisance vegetation, but they don’t have to be uti-lized independently. When applied by a licensed professional, some biological products can also be used in conjunction with herbicides to aid in the decomposition process of submerged and emergent vegetation.

A professional will determine the rate and frequency of benefi-cial bacteria and/or herbicide applications by conducting water chemistry tests or considering the targeted issue. However, the best way to achieve your overall lake or pond goals is to ensure the proper products are being utilized. There are many selections available on the market, so it is very important to choose a quality option with field data and science supporting the claims. Always rely on your lake and pond management company for beneficial bacteria recommendations, as well as guidance on strategies to improve aeration, beneficial buffers, water quality, and native wild-life populations. Your water will thank you.

Erin Stewart is an experienced Aquatic Biologist with SOLitude Lake Management, an environmental firm providing a full ar-ray of superior lake, pond, wetland, and fisheries management services and solutions. She can be reached through the website www.solitudelakemanagement.com.

Beneficial bacteria acts much like a natural probiotic for your lake or pond, aiding with the efficient decomposition of organic materials and excessive nutrients, which can help prevent the development of nuisance algae and vegetation and facilitate the growth of healthy organisms.



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Denver’s Urban University and Botanic Garden Team Up to Make an Even Bigger

Impact on Water Issues in ColoradoGuest article by Metropolitan State University

The next time you’re sitting in traffic on Interstate 25 (this afternoon, probably), consider this: Colorado’s population is expected to grow by 1.5 million by 2030. And that doesn’t just mean more traffic. It means more pressure on the state’s scarc-est natural resource—water.

Between the population boom and ris-ing global temperatures, the imagination doesn’t need to wander far to see what the future of Colorado might look like. Hint: If you thought lawn-watering re-strictions were bad, how about living in a world like the one imagined in the movie “Mad Max: Fury Road”?

Thankfully, there are people and or-ganizations teaming up to tackle water issues in the state. This past spring, the Denver Botanic Gardens and the One World One Water Center at Metropolitan State University of Denver signed a part-nership that will have long-term implica-tions for the future of water education and stewardship in the Centennial State.

“Both organizations were already pur-suing similar objectives,” says Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd, director of marketing and social responsibility for the Denver Botanic Gardens. “By joining forces, we

can do so much more and have a bigger reach for our work.”

The plan includes stronger collabora-tion between MSU Denver professors and Botanic Gardens scientists, shared research projects, and the pursuit of joint funding. Wherever possible, the aim is to involve students. The end goal, Riley-Chetwynd says, is to make an even bigger impact on watershed restoration and health.

As part of the agreement, Riley-Chet-wynd also becomes co-director of the OWOW Center in addition to her work at the Botanic Gardens, helping to fur-ther unite the organizations. She already serves as an affiliate faculty member in the Journalism and Technical Communi-cation Department at MSU Denver.

For Tom Cech, co-director of the OWOW Center, the partnership will help better educate future water leaders and stewards. “Our goal has always been to raise awareness of current water chal-lenges and opportunities both in the Colorado community and among our stu-dents,” he says. “This partnership ampli-fies those efforts.”

While MSU Denver students have in-

terned at the Botanic Gardens, Cech sees increased opportunities in light of the new agreement. He also imagines more events like the recent Shed ’17 water summit, co-hosted by the organizations June 29 at the Gardens.

The event brought together nearly 200 leaders from across the state and country to discuss water challenges and co-create solutions. Topics at the conference includ-ed the importance of watershed health and outdoor recreation, agriculture’s role in Colorado’s water future, and the evolu-tion of conservation. The keynote speaker for the event was Mike Nelson, chief me-teorologist at Denver7, who spoke about climate change.

“We need to work together to answer questions about how to deal with our population growth, where our water will come from, and how we will keep urban communities viable without endangering our environment,” Riley-Chetwynd says. “No one group can do all of that alone. It’s the only way forward if we’re going to make Colorado’s future sustainable.”

If all goes according to plan, the only “Fury Road” in Colorado will be I-25, par-ticularly during rush hour.

Metropolitan State University of Denver Introduces New Water Studies Online CertificateIn response to the reality of declining water resources, Met-ropolitan State University of Denver Innovative and Lifelong Learning has partnered with the One World One Water Center to offer a new Water Studies Online Certificate, an opportunity to learn about the history, law, and management of water in Colorado and the western United States.

From lifelong learners who want to know more about wa-ter preservation to those working in green and sustainable professions, this unique certificate provides introductory level training and skills relevant to a wide range of fields in the nonprofit, corporate, and public sectors, including water industries, conservation, agriculture, construction, engineer-ing, and law.

What you get with the Water Studies Online Certificate:

» Flexible schedule—Control your own schedule with a self-paced format that’s 100% online

» One-on-one networking and advisement—Receive a personal advising session with an expert in the Colorado water industry

» Real-world applications—Develop a capstone project to directly apply what you’ve learned to real-world situations

» Career opportunities—Find job demand in a growth industry. Wherever you live, someone’s job is to be in charge of water

Registration is open now. Courses start January 2018. For more information, go to https://msudenver.edu/water-studies-online/.

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2018 SDA Leadership Academy Applications Now AvailableThe planning process is well under-way for the 2018 SDA Leadership Academy, and we are ready to wel-come a new class! This popular train-ing fills up quickly so don’t miss your chance to be a part of this year-long program that is scheduled to kick-off in early February 2018.

Since the SDA Leadership Acad-emy began in 2012, over 215 Leader-ship Fellows have graduated from this unique leadership program that fea-tures some of Colorado’s top leaders discussing issues centered around per-sonal and professional development.

As a Leadership Academy Fellow, you will participate in at least four events throughout the year plus the Leadership Lunch at the SDA Annual

Conference in Keystone in September. You will also receive “Happy Friday” emails which offer valuable insights and lessons on leadership from a wide variety of sources.

Applications are now being ac-cepted so please visit the SDA website at www.sdaco.org if you are interested in applying. But don’t delay; applications are due by Monday, November 20.

We would like to thank COLOTRUST for sponsoring and supporting the 2018 Leadership Fellows.

This is a remarkable opportunity you won’t want to miss so apply today!

SUPPORTING COMMUNITY-BASED GOVERNMENT | SDACO.ORG | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 27 SUPPORTING COMMUNITY-BASED GOVERNMENT | SDACO.ORG | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 27

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SPECIAL DISTRICT ASSOCIATION OF COLORADO

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