Bruce Baker
Westminster City Council
In the election campaign of 2021, I was the most specific, succinct, direct, insistent voice for lower residential water rates. Our new Council, in a 5 to 2 vote meaningfully lowered the water rates.
In my view this was the first step in empowering our residents to be able to afford green landscapes and to return ALL of Westminster to a beautiful, inviting, safe-looking, personally satisfying city.
However Westminster government is far more than water rates.
1. We must set a firm plan for the design, cost and methods for a enduring water treatment plant.
2. The decision of a prior City Council to design and build a New Downtown was a catastrophic error. Our Council must take a firm hand to find a solution out of the mess that is there. Today it is a give-away program of tax money to connected developers that is tens of millions of dollars underwater.
3. Westminster has a wasteful, bloated city government. Compared to ourselves, Full Time Equivalent Employees (FTEs) have increased from 904 in 2014 to an authorized 1100 for 2023 while the population has increased from 110,000 in 2014 to approximately 118,000 today. Compared to other cities our same size (Arvada, Greeley, Pueblo,) they serve their populations with 150 to 250 fewer FTEs.
4. Westminster government has strayed too far from our First Job: providing essential, government services (police, fire, water/sewer, roads and parks). Westminster government has become enamored with forcing high-density housing projects on the city, designing new cities of the Future, forcing people out of their cars, winning National honors for our staff members, excessive/wasteful use of consultants and launching social services programs that should have been done by Adams and Jefferson Counties.
In my view this was the first step in empowering our residents to be able to afford green landscapes and to return ALL of Westminster to a beautiful, inviting, safe-looking, personally satisfying city.
However Westminster government is far more than water rates.
1. We must set a firm plan for the design, cost and methods for a enduring water treatment plant.
2. The decision of a prior City Council to design and build a New Downtown was a catastrophic error. Our Council must take a firm hand to find a solution out of the mess that is there. Today it is a give-away program of tax money to connected developers that is tens of millions of dollars underwater.
3. Westminster has a wasteful, bloated city government. Compared to ourselves, Full Time Equivalent Employees (FTEs) have increased from 904 in 2014 to an authorized 1100 for 2023 while the population has increased from 110,000 in 2014 to approximately 118,000 today. Compared to other cities our same size (Arvada, Greeley, Pueblo,) they serve their populations with 150 to 250 fewer FTEs.
4. Westminster government has strayed too far from our First Job: providing essential, government services (police, fire, water/sewer, roads and parks). Westminster government has become enamored with forcing high-density housing projects on the city, designing new cities of the Future, forcing people out of their cars, winning National honors for our staff members, excessive/wasteful use of consultants and launching social services programs that should have been done by Adams and Jefferson Counties.
How far has Westminster comes on in setting proper water rates?
While we took a giant step in early 2022, Council just raised rates for 2023. I was the lone dissenting vote.
Was: 0 to 6,000 gallons $3.96 Spring of 2020: 0 to 8,000 gallons $3.57 Oct 24, 2022 - 0 to 8,000 gallons $3.71
7,000 to 20,000 $8.15 9,000 to 40,000 $6.52 9,000 to 40,000 gallons $6.78
over 21,000 $12.88 over 41,000 $8.15 over 40,000 $8.48
When Council lowered the water rates in early 2022, we knew we did not have the actual cost basis to set exact prices. We made the reductions based on an overview to what other cities charged. There are no unique circumstances that would force Westminster to charge prices that are far different than our neighboring cities. Westminster's water rates are still not based on actual costs.
I am insisting for water rates based on true costs. Getting that information has been far more challenging than I had ever thought it would be. Today, a year after taking office, our new City Council has only been given estimates and projections by staff. I find this situation unacceptable. Unfortunately when the new Council took office in November 2021 there was no cost estimate for the new water treatment plant. And this was with the new plant being almost 30% designed. I still do not know how this was possible. This was a complete failure of The Westminster water department.
Our current rates water will go to returning Westminster to the Tree City USA that we have been for decades. It will help homeowners restore their lawns. But it is not enough. Westminster endured for 3 years, from 2019 to 2021, unnecessary, hurtful and mean-spirited water rates and that needs to end. My new City Council is being scared into building an new, unneeded, $196 million dollar water treatment plant. If that happens we will not be able to lower water rates any further.
While Council has compelled changes at City Hall, I feel city staff is still out-of-control. In February of 2022 a reassessment of the plans for Water 2025 was undertaken. This reassessment was a swindle. Instead of hiring new engineers to see the project with new eyes, we used the same old engineers. Surprise, surprise. The old engineer came up with what is essentially the same plan as the old plan. Of course they would. They were proud of their work. They were not about to find fault. Unfortunately, city staff is misleading Council about the need for a new water plant. Instead of stopping the crazy, high, water prices; council might doom Westminster residents into crazy high prices for decades to come. This is ridiculous. Please ask Council to not build a new water treatment plant.
Was: 0 to 6,000 gallons $3.96 Spring of 2020: 0 to 8,000 gallons $3.57 Oct 24, 2022 - 0 to 8,000 gallons $3.71
7,000 to 20,000 $8.15 9,000 to 40,000 $6.52 9,000 to 40,000 gallons $6.78
over 21,000 $12.88 over 41,000 $8.15 over 40,000 $8.48
When Council lowered the water rates in early 2022, we knew we did not have the actual cost basis to set exact prices. We made the reductions based on an overview to what other cities charged. There are no unique circumstances that would force Westminster to charge prices that are far different than our neighboring cities. Westminster's water rates are still not based on actual costs.
I am insisting for water rates based on true costs. Getting that information has been far more challenging than I had ever thought it would be. Today, a year after taking office, our new City Council has only been given estimates and projections by staff. I find this situation unacceptable. Unfortunately when the new Council took office in November 2021 there was no cost estimate for the new water treatment plant. And this was with the new plant being almost 30% designed. I still do not know how this was possible. This was a complete failure of The Westminster water department.
Our current rates water will go to returning Westminster to the Tree City USA that we have been for decades. It will help homeowners restore their lawns. But it is not enough. Westminster endured for 3 years, from 2019 to 2021, unnecessary, hurtful and mean-spirited water rates and that needs to end. My new City Council is being scared into building an new, unneeded, $196 million dollar water treatment plant. If that happens we will not be able to lower water rates any further.
While Council has compelled changes at City Hall, I feel city staff is still out-of-control. In February of 2022 a reassessment of the plans for Water 2025 was undertaken. This reassessment was a swindle. Instead of hiring new engineers to see the project with new eyes, we used the same old engineers. Surprise, surprise. The old engineer came up with what is essentially the same plan as the old plan. Of course they would. They were proud of their work. They were not about to find fault. Unfortunately, city staff is misleading Council about the need for a new water plant. Instead of stopping the crazy, high, water prices; council might doom Westminster residents into crazy high prices for decades to come. This is ridiculous. Please ask Council to not build a new water treatment plant.
We are not there yet.
But I have the tenacity, determination and passion to get there.
We must have the same commitment in all Westminster City Council members.
But I have the tenacity, determination and passion to get there.
We must have the same commitment in all Westminster City Council members.
