Boards in Action: Fiscal Leadership on Water Advisory Committee
Posted in July 2026
The Identity
The Mission: The primary purpose of the Fiscal Leadership on Water Advisory Committee (FLOW) is to provide suggestions and recommendations to the Council and staff regarding utility enterprise fees, capital improvement project planning and financial planning. Their work covers the water, sewer, reuse and stormwater enterprise funds. Through this work, the committee aims to improve community involvement, transparency and provide valuable community perspectives to assist the Council's decision-making.
Composition of the Committee: There are seven members that serve on the FLOW committee. The members bring extensive expertise in long-range planning, budgeting, water conservation, infrastructure management and financial analysis. The team specifically consists of four Civil Engineers who specialize in water infrastructure (including two with PhDs and one with a Master's degree), a past Broomfield Council Member, a retired City Manager from Lafayette and a retired Deputy Director of Public Works from Aurora.
Committee Meetings: The committee meets monthly, typically on the first Thursday of each month. The public can find the next meeting's agenda and notice posted on the FLOW Advisory Committee web page no less than 24 hours prior to the date of the meeting.
The Impact
Recent Recommendations
A major recent milestone for the FLOW Committee was the formal support of the staff-recommended 2027 utility rates and a new commercial tiered rate structure. After months of deep-dive reviews of CCOB's financial models, the committee voted unanimously to recommend a 7% increase for Water, Sewer, Reuse and Stormwater rates, alongside a 4% tap fee increase. Furthermore, they supported the recommendation for a new tiered rate structure for commercial water users—similar to the residential structure—which is designed to equitably distribute costs, incentivize water conservation among high-volume users and ensure long-term infrastructure sustainability. The Committee is developing a recommendation report that will be provided to the Broomfield Council.
Day-to-Day Work
The public might not realize that the FLOW Committee spends a substantial amount of time reviewing the details of CCOB's multi-million dollar Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and utility rate models to protect CCOB's financial health. This involves highly technical review of utility capital projects, cost estimates, long-range plans and rate models to help secure high bond ratings and save taxpayers money. For example, the committee regularly reviews detailed cost recalibrations, such as for CCOB’s waterline replacement program. The Committee will continue to review each year’s CIP program and proposed rates.
The Why
Why do the members of this board choose to volunteer their time for this specific cause?
The members of the FLOW Committee volunteer because they bring a wealth of highly specialized, professional expertise to the table and have a deep personal interest in securing Broomfield's future. They are motivated by a shared passion for financial sustainability, long-range planning, infrastructure management and water conservation. Volunteering allows them to channel their life's work and technical skills into ensuring their community has a sustainable, fiscally responsible and resilient water system for generations to come.
How does the work of this board directly affect the daily life of a resident or stakeholder?
The FLOW Committee’s work touches the daily life of every Broomfield resident in two key ways:
- Water Bills: The committee rigorously reviews rate models and multi-million dollar infrastructure projects to ensure that utility bills remain affordable while still covering necessary maintenance and capital investment. For instance, they recently confirmed that CCOB's water and sewer rates remain highly affordable at just 1.31% of the median household income, well below the EPA's 4.5% threshold limit.
- Water Quality and Reliability: By reviewing and helping to refine CCOB’s maintenance and capital improvement programs for water, sewer, reuse and stormwater, the committee helps ensure that water utility operations and investments continue to deliver high quality and reliable water supply to the Broomfield community, while minimizing the environmental impacts of wastewater and stormwater.
If someone wanted to support the mission or voice an opinion, what is the best way for them to engage with this board?
The FLOW Committee is highly transparent and encourages public participation. If you want to support the mission or voice your opinion, here are the best ways to engage:
- Attend a Meeting in Person: The committee generally meets on the first Thursday of every month from 6 -8 p.m. at the Broomfield Municipal Shops (3951 W 144th Ave.) in the Flume Conference Room.
- Speak During Public Comment: Every meeting agenda includes a dedicated public comment period where the chairperson invites attendees to share their thoughts and opinions.
- Send an Email: You can submit questions, feedback or opinions directly to the committee via their dedicated public email address: flow@broomfield.org. The committee uses these emails to ensure transparency and potentially allocate agenda time for complex resident topics.
- Stay Informed Online: You can follow the committee's upcoming agenda items, read past meeting minutes and view presentation slides from their meetings by visiting the Fiscal Leadership on Water Advisory Committee web page.
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