Council hears request to delegate CDOT stormwater IGAs to enterprise manager

Tim Bilkeenew, the city’s Stormwater Enterprise Capital Program Manager, asked council to approve a resolution authorizing the Stormwater Enterprise Manager to execute intergovernmental maintenance agreements with the Colorado Department of Transportation when stormwater infrastructure overlaps CDOT right‑of‑way.

Bilkeenew said such agreements are generally infrequent “maybe once a year,” but that they can become time‑sensitive; he cited the Cottonwood Creek stabilization project at Powers Boulevard (a FEMA‑funded project) where CDOT requested a maintenance agreement that could have delayed contractor work. “Technically, we cannot have our contractor work in there until that maintenance agreement is signed and sealed…so that’s why this came up,” Bilkeenew said.

Several council members voiced caution about delegating recurring oversight to staff. One member said she was reluctant to remove council oversight on matters that historically have returned to the council for approval and suggested the item not be put on consent; another said that because the transactions are infrequent and minor in scope, delegation could be appropriate to avoid operational delays.

Council and staff agreed the item would not go on consent and that the resolution will be heard at the next regular council meeting to allow debate and public notice; staff confirmed they could not finalize a delegation at the work session itself.

No final action was taken at the work session; staff will return with the resolution and any requested clarifications for the council meeting.