ELDORADO AREA WATER & SANITATION DISTRICT
2 North Chamisa Drive, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87508-9483
Public Rate Hearing held 3/27/2024
The District held a formal Public Rate Hearing presided over by Public Hearing Officer, Peter Gould, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in the EAWSD Public Conference Room located at 2 N. Chamisa Drive. Below you will find links to the transcript of the hearing, exhibits entered into the record, and the Hearing Officer's decision submitted to the District as of 4/18/24 .
FUTURE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
The District is involved in a continual process of evaluating infrastructure maintenance and capital improvement needs. An updated 5-Year CIP plan must be submitted to New Mexico Department of Finance & Administration (DFA) each year. As a result, the planning, review, and approval of the 5-Year CIP Plan consists of:
Initial Planning: In this stage, staff and the Capital Planning Advisory Committee (CPAC) determine District needs and identify projects to meet those needs. A budget-level estimate of costs is developed for planning purposes. These projects are listed on the 5-Year Capital Improvement Project (CIPs) Plan for review and approval by the Board.
Prioritization: Recommendations for project prioritization are developed by the CPAC based on discussions with District staff, operations staff, consultants, and other agencies. Budget limitations and funding availability are taken into consideration at this point (e.g., does the District have capital or grant funds available, should we apply for a grant, etc.). The Board then reviews and approves the 5-Year CIP Plan at a Board meeting. The Board must select, at least, the five CIPs with highest priority for submittal within the 5-Year CIP Plan to DFA for potential funding by the State.
Approval to Proceed: Board approval is required to proceed with major maintenance or replacement projects or with any CIP. Due to the limited funding and staff to manage the various projects, Board approval is often given for phases of a project; for example, initially the Board might approve the planning, design, and engineering phase before proceeding with procurement, construction, and/or installation phases. Although needs are usually recognized early, funding and staff limitations have historically determined if and when a project will proceed.
The 5-Year CIP Plan is maintained as the master list of identified capital improvement projects (CIPs). This list is approved by the Board and reviewed and updated as circumstances change (e.g., a grant or other funding is received, critical maintenance issue arises). You may view or download the most current 5-Year Capital Improvement Project Plans by clicking on the button to the left.