“We’re excited to have gotten so much grant money for the projects,” said Reuben Bergsten, the Town of Estes Park’s Utility Director, referring to funding for authorized water line improvements in the Carriage Hills and Spruce Knob neighborhoods.
This includes a Department of Local Affairs grant in the amount of $1 million; and a principal-forgiveness Bipartisan Infrastructure Law loan administered through the State Revolving Fund in the amount of $1.5 M.
Two loans, a BIL Drinking Water loan, also administered by the SRF, for $838,087 and a $2,660,554 SRF Drinking Water Revolving Fund Base Loan round out the funding sources for this $6 M multi-phase capital project, which is scheduled to begin construction in early 2025.
Debt service is predicted to be approximately $240,000 annually over 20 years, with an interest rate of 3.2%.
Bergsten and Utility Projects Manager Jacqui Wesley presented on the project at the Town Board meeting on September 10, stating that these improvements will not only prevent water line breakages and create beneficial loops in the system, but it will also conserve a considerable amount of water that is currently being wasted.
Prior to “1923, no one (in Estes Park) had water in the winter, because the pipes froze,” said Bergsten, but “that year a deeper, larger main line was installed.” In the 1930s, the Town of Estes Park purchased the water system, making it a public utility.
But there were neighboring private water systems, most notably the Crystal Water Company, which served the Carriage Hills subdivision, and the Spruce Knob water well system that serviced 12 properties on Joel Estes Drive, just off Mall Road.
In 1989, the Town acquired the Crystal Water Company and its native water rights. In so doing, the Town inherited a water system that was “not up to Town standards,” said Wesley. It has smaller diameter cast iron pipe, galvanized pipe (instead of ductile iron, the proper material for water pipes) and shallow placements of lines, which requires “bleeders” (or extra water) to be pumped through for water quality and to prevent freezing, she said.
Carriage Hills “is our most frequent area of line breaks,” Wesley said, starting around this time of year when temperatures get colder at night. There are about 1,000 residents in this neighborhood, a fifth of the total water customers served by the Town of Estes Park.
To be more competitive for the $1M DOLA grant, the Town was advised to include Spruce Knob in their application. “The state revoked (the Spruce Knob) well permit, so they have been purchasing water” from the Town, said Bergsten. Additionally, the state does not like to work with a bunch of private water systems in one area, he said.
The project includes four phases with phase one being the largest piece. Getting the trunk portion done, going down Carriage Drive, and then connecting with a water line improvement installed under Highway 7, across from Pawnee Drive, is the largest part of the project, said Wesley.
“This brings another source of water into Carriage Hills,” she said. Within the Carriage Hills neighborhood, there are many lines that just dead-end; this phase will connect to the rest of Carriage Hills and create better water flow.
This phase will also include an area with frequent breaks, on Whispering Pines.
“Phases 2, 3 and 4 are approximately of equal size, based on frequency of breaks and on the condition of the pipes in the areas,” Wesley said. The bidding process to award this work will begin late this year, with construction to begin in early 2025, taking approximately two years to complete the project, she said.
Grant pays for recycling equipment, campaign finance public hearing, and board appointments
Nearly 200,000 pounds of solid waste were disposed of at the Special Events Complex in 2023, reported Rob Hinkle, the Town’s fairgrounds and event coordinator. Front Range Waste Diversion, an enterprise of the Colorado Department of Health, has awarded the Town $45,398 for the purchase and installation of four water refill stations, three recycling stations, and one storage container to be used at large-scale Town events.
A public hearing on how to address campaign finance complaints was held at the Tuesday night meeting as well. At issue was whether to manage campaign finance complaints locally, or to refer them to the state, which is the current policy.
Town Clerk Jackie Williamson said that her office has never received a campaign finance complaint, and no members of the public were present to speak on this topic, nor were any letters of comment from the public received.
The board voted to keep the current policy of referring all campaign finance complaints to the Colorado Secretary of State.
The appointments of Carissa Streib to the Transportation Advisory Board and Jeffrey Robbins to the Estes Park Planning Commission were approved by the Board. Streib’s term will expire in March 2027 and Robbins will finish Matthew Comstock’s term which will expire in 2026.
Shuttle service contract with service through September 2024 approved
Monies were shifted around to find nearly $50,000 needed to fulfill the extension of the 2023 contract with RATP Dev USA and Rocky Mountain National Park to 2024. This was achieved by several grants and parking fee revenue to come up to the revised contract total of $412,703.82, which was budgeted but the grants and other funding sources needed to be approved by the board.
The Red Route will run daily through Oct. 20. All other routes are currently running weekends only through Sept. 29. For more information on the Peak shuttle system, the Town’s free transportation option, click here.
Scots Fest parade was not cancelled due to high fees
Mayor Gary Hall said that the Town did not levy an “exorbitant fee” on this year’s Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival’s annual parade, leading to it being cancelled, quashing a rumor he has been hearing around town. Hall contacted Peggy Sue Young, “who owns the whole thing, and she said ‘no – I cancelled it’,” he said. The verbiage on the event’s website stated the parade was cancelled due to the ongoing construction around Estes Park. The next Town of Estes Park Board of Trustees meeting will be held on Sept. 24, at 7p.m. in Town Hall. All members of the public are welcome to attend.