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HISTORIC PRESERVATION MASTER PLAN The City is developing a City-wide Preservation Master Plan for its historic preservation program. The City's unique preservation program, supported by a dedicated sales tax, has resulted in over 20 landmarks. However, the City has never adopted a preservation master plan to guide the pro- gram. The 2013 Comprehensive Plan calls for the creation of such a plan to define the goals of the preservation program and map out how to achieve them. The plan will cover such things as determining a period of significance for Louisville, analyzing current historic preserva- tion regulations, and how to engage the community in the future of historic preservation. The first public meeting for the Preservation Master Plan will be Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at 6:30 PM, City Hall, 749 Main Street. During the development of the Preservation Master Plan, residents will be asked to define a community vision, respond to questions about the existing preservation program, and outline goals for historic preservation in Louisville. Staff will be working with historic preservation consultant, HistoryMatters, LLC, for an external review of the program and guidance on best practices. For more information about the Preservation Master Plan, please contact Lauren Trice (303.335.4594 or LaurenT@LouisvilleCO.com). 2015 BUDGET APPROVED The City Council approved the 2015 Budget on No- vember 3, 2014. The City is in good fiscal health. The current projection for 2014 General Fund revenue, exclusive of interfund transfers, is 1.8% higher than 2013 and year to date sales tax revenue is trending 4.4% above budget. These resources, combined with the improving economy, enable the City to improve service levels in several areas and accomplish the City Council's 2015 goals. The 2015 budget addresses many projects including the City take over of the operation of the Coal Creek Golf Course and over $23M worth of capital improvement projects planned for 2015. Some of those projects include: • Completion of the new City Services Facility • Technology Improvements • ADA Improvements • Street Maintenance • South Street Underpass The complete budget is available on the City's web site (www.LouisvilleCO.gov) in the November 3 City Council meeting packet. CHANGES COMING FOR WASTEWATER CHARGES Beginning in May of 2015 the City will be starting a new rate system for wastewater charges for residential customers. Currently, the City charges each utility account a flat fee of $20.69 per month for wastewater (sewer). Begin- ning in May that flat fee will be replaced with the following: 1. A fee based on your "average winter consumption" (AWC) - per 1,000 gallons of average winter consumption 2. Billing charge - This nominal charge recovers customer service costs to the City 3. Readiness to serve charge (per dwelling unit) - This charge recovers a portion of the cost of sewer facilities These changes in billing are the result of recommendations from the City's Utility Rate Task Force and their examina- tion of the utility rate structure. The overall goals of the study were to ensure rates and fees are understandable, equitably distribute costs to system users, generate sufficient revenue to sustain utility operations, and facilitate effective planning and budgeting. The new rate structure will ensure long -term stability in the Utility Fund and pay for necessary upgrades to the wastewater system. The new rate structure was approved by the City Council on March 18, 2014. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Why use winter water use for the basis of sewer billing? Sewer charges are for the treatment of water that drains into the sanitary sewer system and for taking care of the sewer system. Traditionally, the three lowest water consumption months for residential accounts are the winter months when customers are not watering their lawns and water usage is mainly inside the house. The majority of the water used dur- ing winter months is entering the sanitary sewer, thus it is an appropriate basis for base wastewater consumption. How is my Average Winter Consumption determined? Your AWC will be an average of your use for the months of December, January, and February. Once I have my average, will it ever change? Your new average will be recalculated automatically each year when we average your December through February use. It could change from year -to -year depending on how much water you use during the winter months If you have questions or comments about the new rate structure, please contact Kurt Kowar (303.335.4601 or KurtK@LouisvilleCO.gov.) Winter 2014