Westminster Overview
June 9, 2015
Response from:
Senior Management Analyst, Public Works & Utilities, City of Westminster
Response format: phone Interview and email response
Where does funding come from?
The City has an infrastructure fee that is included on resident's utility bills and pays for sidewalks and street lighting. Each utility account pays the same infrastructure fee. The fee is part of the City’s Municipal Code (http://www.ci.westminster.co.us/CityGovernment/CityCode/TitleIX/8InfrastructureProgram.aspx) and was formed by its legislators in 2013 in response to the need to modify the existing fee from 2007 in order to keep up with increasing costs.
How is it implemented?
The current $6.00 per month Infrastructure Fee per utility bill replaced previous $0.50, $3, $4, and $5 per month Concrete Fees that were in place since 2007 and increased over time. The new Infrastructure Fee was designed to address growing costs of the City’s curb, gutter and sidewalk replacement program and to offset approximately half of the City’s current street light costs.
How are repair and maintenance sites prioritized?
Westminster has 750 miles of sidewalk/curb/gutter – of that, 90% is in acceptable condition. So the maintenance and repair work is almost completed.
Additional notes.
"There is always more concrete that needs replacing, repairing or grinding than there are funds available."
The Street Division uses Operating and Capital Project funds annually for concrete as follows:
2015 Annual Infrastructure Fee portion for concrete is $745,728 of the $836,000 line item budget figure
2015 CIP funding is $250,000
2015 Total concrete funding is $1,086,000
The City needed $2.3 million dollars in 2007 for 11,000 linear feet of curb, gutter and sidewalk replacement, and energy charges for 7100 street lights throughout the City. Xcel energy charges for street lights increased 16% since 2003. The Infrastructure Fee was expected to generate just over $1 million dollars in new revenue to help pay for these services and aid in balancing the 2007 budget. One-third ($330,000) of the Fee is mandated to be used for concrete replacement with the remaining two-thirds ($670,000) mandated for street lights.