2021-06-28 Mike and Malissa Bernard
Charlene Way
From:Mike and Malissa Bernard <MMBERNARD1@msn.com>
Sent:Monday, June 28, 2021 8:29 AM
To:City Clerk; Robert Simison
Cc:Liz Strader; Luke Cavener; Treg Bernt; Brad Hoaglun; Joe Borton; Jessica Perreault;
Matt Perkins; Bill Parsons; Caleb Hood
Subject:PUIS will be shut off intermittently or will be very limited this year...is there a drought
directive from the City regarding use of water for private homes, businesses, and
common areas? UDC and water-wise approaches and Open Space
External Sender - Please use caution with links or attachments.
Good morning!
This may be attached to the Open Space comments, thank you.
Since we are in the midst of a heat wave and a drought our local irrigation districts are limiting resources for irrigation
water because they haven’t any choice, and I support their efforts to judiciously allocate the supplies.
There is a lot of chatter on NextDoor and such, and the talk is about just using City Water to keep up the
landscapes. Just posing the question if that is going to strain any City resources, water storage, pumps, aquifers, deeper
drilling, and the like because the demand will increase exponentially with the lack of irrigation water available for use,
which is a resource we all have gotten quite used to using at home. Wells are running dry in Southwest Ada and south
Boise, for example.
For the new UDC draft and update, I would like to thank Matt Perkins for his forward thinking on water-wise
landscapes and designs. Matt was incredibly helpful (via email and a phone call) in providing us a list of appropriate
street tree choices for our neighborhood as our ailing pear trees as a monoculture design are failing to thrive. I wanted
to say I support the initiative to think ahead as we grow. I have noticed districts in the Reno and Carson City area are
now reducing much of the grass in new areas and encouraging water-wise landscapes for all. This current heat wave
and drought in addition to our never-ending growth makes this water-wise and xeriscape topic an important one to talk
about for commercial businesses and residents alike.
On a side note, please do not decrease open space, regardless of developer stakeholder pressures. Higher density
product needs open space for an attractive and inviting sense of place. If higher density multi-family or R-15 does not
have adequate space or a sense of attractive amenities and sense of community, they will go elsewhere. Example: we
have a pond, play areas, and a big grassy area where The Brickyards and other neighborhoods come over and claim the
space as their own, on foot and by vehicle. They use our pickle ball and basketball court, though we might entertain a
special invite to Council President Bernt to come on over to be taught a lesson in pickle ball .
The Open Space Committee was quite lopsided in representation, in my opinion, in terms of development interests to
citizen interests. I believe there was a singular citizen’s voice as the committee business came to a close. As to the pond
commentary: it is the HOA that maintains the pond, not the developer. As someone that has helped moved yards of
sand, pulled plants, and stepped into the muck of our pond to help keep it attractive and functional with many other
resident volunteers, we do so for the enjoyment for our neighbors on an allocated budget. We know who pays for the
pond and who maintains the pond; the developers move on and the residents pay for maintenance. I disagree with 90%
of the DevCo commentary presented on Open Space in particular. I get the front-facing housing towards swaths of open
space instead of backyards where those homeowners have really two large backyards to enjoy (their deeded property
and the additional prime open space) and front-facing homes would encourage neighbors to get to know one
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another…just maybe the percentage is a bit high on that one, and perhaps all innovation in design should be encouraged
amongst development so we don’t have the same copy-and-paste and peel-and-stick designs over and over before
Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council.
Thank you. Have a great week!
Malissa Bernard
Alpine Pointe HOA, Neighborhood Outreach Committee
From
https://www.settlersirrigation.org/
SETTLERS IRRIGATION DISTRICT
To place a water order, call 208-870-4292; water will then be delivered within 48 hours from the time of order.
WATER ALLOCATION DATE 2021- Water allocation will begin on June 16th. Due to the lack of water in the reservoirs, we
are facing a short irrigation season and Settlers will be forced to go on allocation much sooner than normal. Allocation
means everyone's water right will be cut whatever percentage is deemed necessary to prolong the season to try and get
through some of the peak summer heat. Homeowners, be aware that limited water means you will have to supplement
with your garden hose, city water, wells, etc. this season. Trying to use more water than is available will cause the pump
stations to low-level and shut down.
Note: Settlers does NOT operate most of the pressurized irrigation systems in our District. Only those subdivisions
operated by Settlers are listed on the "Watering Schedule" page. If your subdivision is not listed, contact your HOA,
community website, or lateral for updates and information on water issues, water availability, and watering schedules.
WATERING SCHEDULES: When reviewing your watering schedule, please adhere to the following guidelines unless
otherwise noted for your subdivision on the Watering Schedule page: The irrigation system is designed for use based on
a rotation system. The system is not designed to allow, and will not work, if all homeowners water at the same time. If
too many homes irrigate at the same time, especially during the peak use time of 5:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m., the pump
station will produce low pressure and volume and may shut off. To avoid this issue, avoid watering during this time.
Homeowners are allowed to water only 3 days per week for no more than 2 hours on each of those days. For those who
cannot set their timers to "Even" and "Odd" days, assume M, W, F, are "Even" and Tu, Th, Sa are "Odd". Choose 3 days
and set your times as indicated on the watering schedule. It is essential to follow your watering schedule in order to
avoid low pressure issues.
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