[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6480368,"mediaKeyId","5681658-50faab46f7dfebcc5bfc4e8687cb9a88","parentId",5681658,"title","Raftelis study recommends higher water, wastewater and stormwater revenue; staff to return with final rates in October","audioSeconds",1173,"startMs",4870000,"endMs",6043000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681658-50faab46f7dfebcc5bfc4e8687cb9a88&start=4870&end=6043","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681658-50faab46f7dfebcc5bfc4e8687cb9a88/thumbnail_4870000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6480368/Lafayette/Boulder-County/Colorado/Raftelis-study-recommends-higher-water-wastewater-and-stormwater-revenue-staff-to-return-with-final-rates-in-October","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6480368-48b13e40c0a2776120a4570a5fdc252a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770977375&Signature=aOZztUm2xdDua32Opon5TCqEGwtZ2EaEW1ZPjwlj40-qIi9N74gfrKUZ1rgNETmWzNdW9WPVqjsCuGVMCerJFHvJQVnIaIM8VdoiHxdGjYR8Rnx-k~545WtTbS3ET3qzTIB6DxZf5AX-cmVKl8qoUinprlLC5DTzAeXI9CdzFUdlzFYgaJD2jE4W66m8oyqK5mhsaPJkkbG8QU2vEsAVcUAjuaglSzeViTVxKI4fSonJ0GGuqjBuOMVNCFP8u~ot-ZsMkeX38xyQ1ahRS8GI4Xo~PKq6QOb1cCveO5V6W0rCXGB3Av5woFuj13UgaDsRIMmtbw4UPkR7lF3Wf0YK8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lafayette","date","2025-08-27T13:43:35Z","article","Raftelis Financial Consultants and Lafayette public‑works staff told council Aug. 26 that the city’s water, wastewater and stormwater utilities face rising repair, replacement and borrowing costs, and that a combination of rate increases and reserve management will be required to fund planned capital work.

Todd Cristiano of Raftelis summarized the financial plan and recommended adjustments. For the water utility Cristiano presented a preliminary plan that draws on reserves and seeks additional annual rate revenue — \"we're looking to get an additional $2,900,000 from an annual revenue increase,\" he said — to smooth funding for capital repair and replacement and to meet required reserve and debt coverage targets. The firm’s analysis showed similar, though smaller, adjustments for wastewater and a modest revenue increase for stormwater; Raftelis said staff will return with sharpened numbers in October.

Jeff Arthur, the city’s public works director, highlighted large cost escalations tied to facility projects. He said earlier engineering estimates for a new water treatment facility had grown dramatically: \"our engineer at the time in 2019, estimated that to be about $5,000,000 ... the work we had done last year with a new consultant, put that somewhere in the $150,000,000 range,\" Arthur said. Staff told council that higher interest‑rate environments and regionwide project costs (including Northern Water partner projects) increase the city’s borrowing cost and the long‑term cost of major capital projects.

Tap fees and rate design

Raftelis recommended updating tap fees (impact fees) to reflect current construction and capacity costs. The presentation showed a modest wastewater tap‑fee increase (preliminary wastewater tap fee approximately $6,530) and a substantial, supportable increase in the water tap fee based on updated capital project costs; staff said the city could adopt the maximum supportable fee or phase increases over time. Raftelis also advised keeping the existing rate structure broadly intact while considering minor adjustments to tier thresholds to preserve lifeline usage levels and promote proportionality by charging higher marginal rates for heavy outdoor users.

Risks and regional factors

Staff and consultants emphasized three risk factors: construction‑cost inflation and rising interest rates; legal and permitting uncertainty for regional water supply projects (for example, the Northern Integrated Supply Project, NISP, which staff said has had regional litigation and settlement costs that affect partners); and the operational challenge of balancing winter indoor demand with large seasonal peaks. Raftelis noted that stormwater repair and replacement needs will require a multi‑year ramp up in spending to reach a sustainable level of service.

Impact to customers and next steps

Using example bills from the study, Raftelis showed a typical residential combined water/wastewater/stormwater bill rising by roughly double‑digit percentages under the preliminary plan (staff characterized the combined change as roughly a 12% effect on a sample monthly bill depending on usage). Cristiano said the study seeks to minimize sudden spikes by combining reserve use with rate adjustments. Staff will return with final rate and fee proposals at the October meetings and recommended periodic (every five years) full reviews of tap fees with annual indexing in between to reflect construction cost inflation.

Why it matters: Lafayette must fund aging infrastructure and large treatment and supply projects that have risen in estimated cost; the study proposes a mix of reserves and rate revenue to fund work while smoothing impacts to ratepayers.

What’s next: staff and Raftelis will present final proposed rates, rate schedules and updated tap fees in October for council consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Workshop - August 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A Raftelis rate study presented Aug. 26 showed Lafayette faces sizable capital and inflationary pressures for utilities, proposed smoothing to raise about $2.9 million in additional water revenue in 2026, and recommended updated tap fees; staff will return in October with final numbers.","taxTitle","Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado","taxId",4315,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6480373,"Lafayette introduces cautious 2026 budget; proposes 9% interim planning fee increase and targeted capital spending",6237,1554000,7791000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681658-50faab46f7dfebcc5bfc4e8687cb9a88&start=1554&end=7791","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681658-50faab46f7dfebcc5bfc4e8687cb9a88/thumbnail_1554000.jpg","/articles/6480373/Lafayette/Boulder-County/Colorado/Lafayette-introduces-cautious-2026-budget-proposes-9-interim-planning-fee-increase-and-targeted-capital-spending","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6480373-622b1e7effefd3bf630cfaf35520341f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770977375&Signature=oUGODjaR9iHm5CfcLw-eTj0UBll3dFrQStCZ~ZeGsq3ngRYQAv0wQwelrGkK6Oi~DBASwsLUjMKvfO3ZY1LHe8NvMDFeowEE-0V9fYQv5GaIOPg9EkhiMJo5hAHqeUmE6ozn34EU8KpEqAoXTs7oeDRlqxz-ADJrnRuCf9JHaL7dT407RBr1zij23hjf1-8lLIBNQDmOsx6XsuY~zSLMWg6fPpAAYO~gfqUIc1zok9IxXAZs0JS9cRQhz-Bs4OXRWJYHKLLgEoA~QNn3p9O4ni-HgZmA9GtSwf4JBXPUxgFLswO4s9iY2pOl6S3yHrEhGEtiGUUaClw-3X9bzYvwHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Manager Dolan and budget staff presented an introductory 2026 budget to the Lafayette City Council at an Aug. 26 workshop, describing a fiscally conservative plan that blends modest revenue growth with targeted spending on capital maintenance and a small set of staff and technology investments.

Dolan said the draft budget was “fiscally conservative given a lot of the uncertainties” and outlined a calendar leading to adoption: staff will deliver a budget book to council by Sept. 20, hold public hearings in October and return for first reading Oct. 14 and final adoption Oct. 28. Finance staff emphasized that the municipal charter requires the city manager to submit a balanced budget and the council to adopt it.

Revenue assumptions and fee proposals

Staff presented projections showing moderate revenue growth: sales and use tax is projected to grow roughly 2% in 2026 (staff noted King Soopers’ prior revenue‑sharing incentive reduced 2025 collections but returns to full share in 2026); property tax preliminary assessed values supplied by Boulder County indicated about 4% growth for 2025 preliminary values, which staff said remains below recent assessed‑value surges; and use tax was described as volatile and treated conservatively for ongoing budgeting. City staff said that, of every dollar collected in sales tax, the city retains about 44¢ — roughly 34¢ to the general fund and the remainder to legacy, parks/open space, public safety and mental‑health funds.

Staff proposed interim adjustments to fees ahead of a comprehensive study: planning and building fees would see a 9% increase in 2026 as a stopgap to reflect rising costs since the fees were last updated in 2019, with a full fee study and ordinance to centralize the fee schedule to follow. Recreation fees and other community‑service charges are expected to grow: staff projected an 11% year‑over‑year increase in revenue for community services in 2025 and recommended a 3% default projection pending the outcome of the fee study.

Expenditures, positions and capital priorities

Dolan and budget staff said they found about $1 million in general‑fund reallocations to absorb some inflationary pressures and that most ongoing position growth would be limited. The draft budget includes several specific personnel proposals: a grant‑funded sustainability/planning position to support a DRCOG (Denver Regional Council of Governments) subaward for climate pollution reduction policy work (if the grant is awarded, the position would be grant‑funded and not added to the general fund); reclassifying a part‑time court clerk to full‑time (bringing total court FTE to three to address rising caseload and complexity); and a part‑time open‑space programming and outreach position funded from dedicated open‑space funds to support volunteer management and trail outreach.

On operating and capital, staff recommended shifting emphasis to rehabilitative maintenance — doubling the street maintenance budget for 2026 and adding a new transportation safety improvements line — and investing in targeted facility and technology upgrades such as library RFID, a court case‑management modernization to move toward paperless operations (staff said a grant is being pursued), and incremental repairs on aging fire and city facilities. Staff also noted a placeholder for possible facility repairs tied to a proposed capital bond; if the bond does not pass some high‑priority repairs could be revisited for supplemental funding.

Funds and follow‑ups

Staff explained that open‑space operating costs were moved into the legacy fund in 2025 and that the parks/open‑space fund had been subsidizing operations; staff said they will bring a midyear supplemental to help stabilize the post fund and better reflect true costs. On benefits and compensation, staff projected a merit program averaging 3% citywide, with a tentative 4% police wage increase already captured in the police CBA placeholder and a health‑benefits placeholder reflecting an estimated more than 10% increase in premiums.

Why it matters: The introduction sets a conservative revenue forecast and prioritizes maintenance and risk reduction while funding a small number of targeted positions and capital items. Staff will return with a final budget book in September and public hearings in October for formal adoption.

What’s next: staff will publish the budget book no later than Sept. 20, hold public hearings in October and return for first and second readings on Oct. 14 and Oct. 28, respectively.","City Manager Dolan and staff presented a 2026 budget introduction Aug. 26 that projects modest revenue growth, recommends a 9% interim increase to planning and building fees, and prioritizes maintenance and selected capital investments while holding new ongoing positions to a minimum.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6480378,"Lafayette reaches tentative police pact while firefighter talks hit impasse",560,982000,1542000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681658-50faab46f7dfebcc5bfc4e8687cb9a88&start=982&end=1542","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681658-50faab46f7dfebcc5bfc4e8687cb9a88/thumbnail_982000.jpg","/articles/6480378/Lafayette/Boulder-County/Colorado/Lafayette-reaches-tentative-police-pact-while-firefighter-talks-hit-impasse","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6480378-d94fddfec99f2d4b5084b5694c156e06/orig.mp4?Expires=1770977375&Signature=g4uBz5SL6aDuQ-mgQvldrBtg34bNqxqftAyoSv0iuAM3~qDDGTqqH4tUCUbfO7w02sQFPy0EF1~X~2gd7mf7lKzGJmRV9PItg-1vWeQ6PFMAJrFn3VHngbrpfyXOxlYd0hRWtcBG0-KQ7zRfcI0cb9G4~pojr1Z8rYpdECtG4a19fn80oTuewW2f83khyVrn3u-9k16JjzTS-pfj3VJGCqd5hqfk8fyIQoBPMsg55YIojjKwZK~tsJepddJPnMPaoxu2L~OUAKAsTKZuSmapG6sjikODhhnIHyOr5MuuFrNolbfVu8CxfsRisBeShYQvokEKsCVSTgB2ENqvC2kHwQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Deputy City Manager Davis told the Lafayette City Council at the Aug. 26 workshop that the city has a tentative agreement with the police union and has reached impasse with the firefighters over wages, setting the stage for mediation and a possible arbitration process.

The police agreement, which staff said is in final ratification, would raise wages that are subject to bargaining 4% for 2026 compared with 2025 and keep a three‑year CBA structure through 2028, with wages reopened for negotiation in 2027 and 2028. \"We have a tentative agreement on almost everything, and we expect in the next week or 2 to have the final ratification,\" Davis said. The agreement framework aligns bargaining provisions with \"section 87 of the city code,\" staff said, and would add items including specialty pay for field training officers, detective and bilingual pay, a more flexible holiday bank, and a new retiree health insurance program for public safety employees who retire earlier than other city workers.

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) bargaining rounds differed. Davis said the city and the IAFF reached tentative agreement on many items but could not agree on a complete total compensation package. \"We have reached impasse,\" Davis said, identifying wages as the primary area of disagreement. Staff told council the next step is mediation; if mediation fails, the city will follow the impasse procedures in city code and proceed to arbitration. Davis added the budget currently includes a placeholder for potential costs associated with the IAFF process.

Council members were not asked to take a formal vote at the workshop. Staff said any financial impacts of the police tentative agreement would be incorporated into the 2026 budget and that the police contract would be signed by the FOP and the city manager after ratification. For the firefighter bargaining unit, staff described the schedule only: mediation is set and arbitration would follow if necessary.

Why it matters: collective bargaining settlements affect the city budget and public safety staffing and benefits. Police benefits and the new retiree health provision would become part of ongoing costs; the firefighters' impasse introduces a potential, near‑term budgetary exposure if arbitration produces an award the city must fund.

What’s next: staff expects FOP ratification within days to weeks and will incorporate costs into the 2026 budget. If firefighter mediation fails, arbitration will follow per city code and could require midyear budget adjustments or use of budgeted placeholders.","City staff told the council Aug. 26 that Lafayette has a tentative collective bargaining agreement with the police union covering 2026 wages and benefits, while talks with the firefighters stalled on pay and will move to mediation and possibly arbitration under city code.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Raftelis study recommends higher water, wastewater and stormwater revenue; staff to return with final rates in October

Lafayette introduces cautious 2026 budget; proposes 9% interim planning fee increase and targeted capital spending

Lafayette reaches tentative police pact while firefighter talks hit impasse