PLATFORM
'Having a water supplier is foundational to the community; the community leans on it and we would not have a community without it. Any discussion I have with commercial, industrial, land developers and the like begins with having water now and in the future. And yet, the water utility is in the shadows. We should not take it for granted.'
—Josh Rivero, Parker Mayor
LIST OF ISSUES
Local Control
Parker Water is frugal by culture and leadership, committed to affordability and delivering on our obligations. We can’t—and don't—make decisions based on partisan politics. We aren't Democrats or Republicans, progressives or conservatives, we're a utility! Our ONLY obligation and duty are to provide water and wastewater services to our Parker neighbors, every day, all day, forever.
This is what I mean by local control. We are close to our customers, who depend on us for their health and well-being. We are not here for the benefit of anyone outside of the district, and we sure aren't here to be used as a political football in bigger partisan wars.
There have been overt attempts to manipulate sources of supply, and, particularly, recent efforts to have the county insert itself into the process. So, there may be a viable threat to our local control—but also an opportunity to lead and develop collaborations and sharing of practices and resources for Douglas County.
As vice-chair of the Douglas County Water Commission, I have played a vital role in developing the Douglas County Water Plan. This plan will help water providers deal with future supply needs, as well as the public's desire to fully understand the issues and answers around water scarcity in Douglas County. I’m 100% behind the plan objectives and believe it will be valuable to all county residents and serve as a showcase of the forward thinking and leadership of the Parker Water and Sanitation District.
Affordability
Comparison of Parker Water average costs over time shows that we are 'middle of the road' compared to our neighbors. Not the highest by far, but not the lowest, either, as our systems are young by comparison to older or less sophisticated water providers.
I am committed to cost of service principles: only billing what it takes to deliver and maintain reliable, high-quality services. Rate growth has been, and continues to be, below relevant CPI measures for the last 10+ years, including through the pandemic economic aftershocks.
I do know, however, that households with lower incomes still struggle. Using $1,301 as an estimated annual bill for only essential water and sewer service (no or minimal irrigation), households with an annual income of $32,525 would see 4% of their income needed for this service—a commonly viewed affordability threshold. Affordability is an issue for them as they work every day to “make ends meet.” Approximately 7.8% of households in the Town of Parker have incomes below $35,000.
I promise to continue to work to keep rates affordable for ALL our customers, through careful analysis and active financial stewardship.
Environmental Stewardship
Being a responsible utility—and a good neighbor—means taking care of the resources that are entrusted to us, and making sure that the water we use is able to be used by others downstream.
Wastewater is something we don't talk about often enough, but our excellence in wastewater treatment is well known. We also are a national leader in cooperative, proactive solutions to finding new sources for our growing community. I'm proud of the work we do at Parker Water, and I intend to keep building on our accomplishments.
Sustainable Supply
Parker Water is very forward thinking and has focused intently on ensuring we have adequate water supplies—forever.
In addition to developing and managing our extensive ground water resources, Parker Water has taken on the Platte Valley Water Partnership as part of the necessary move to renewable water supplies. Notably, it is being done in partnership and collaboration with agriculture interests in the lower South Platte valley through an agreement with Lower South Platte Water Conservation District.
This partnership aligns beautifully with the strategies articulated in the state’s Colorado Water Plan. No landowner agricultural water rights are slated to conversion—that is, no “buy and dry.” but Instead, the project will harvest currently unappropriated water from the South Platte River. Unlike the controversial Renewable Water Resources project, no individuals in the lower South Platte (or Douglas County, for that matter) stand to benefit personally. The Lower South Platte agricultural community is a partner in enabling this visionary renewable water project.