The Meridian Service Metropolitan District held its monthly board meeting March 5. Plans for the commercial area, new equipment for the recreation center and Falcon Freedom Days were discussed.Marti Wallner, senior director of the Meridian Ranch YMCA, reported that usage continues to increase. ìWe have about 6,000 people coming through the doors every month now,î Wallner said. The February father-daughter dance was successful, with 122 people in attendance. ìOne of our favorite quotes we heard was from a dad with three daughters who told us we outdo ourselves every year, which made us very happy to hear,î Wallner said.Quotes for a new leg press, rowing machines and air-hockey tables were presented to the board. ìOur current table works fine, but it’s a little tired after six years of use,î Wallner said. The board discussed priorities of adding new equipment versus maintaining and replacing existing equipment. Members recommended getting price quotes for adding different games. ìIt’s great to see the place full and active, and we need to keep the place looking spiffy for our homeowners,î said Doug Woods, developer representative.The board discussed wastewater fee increases that went into effect earlier this year. District staff reported they didn’t receive any negative feedback from homeowners about the increase, probably because of an aggressive campaign by the district to inform residents through the community newsletter, bill inserts and local media. ìThose costs just keep getting worse here on the Front Range,î Woods said. ìThe EPA and everyone are just gunning for us along here on wastewater, so the costs will only get worse.îLarry Rodgers, former Upper Black Squirrel Groundwater District board member, was nominated to fill an empty position on the district board. Rodgers and Wallner were defeated in the February UBS board election. The Meridian district board elected to stop participating in the groundwater contamination study being conducted by the groundwater district. ìIf Upper Black wants it, they can pay for it,î Woods said. ìSeveral years ago, UBS had an idea to study the groundwater quality to basically study nitrate levels in the alluvial water. We use deep water for homeowners. We don’t think we need to participate in it because it was a self-interest study for Upper Black, but getting the metro districts to pay for it. The test results so far show there’s no issue and further study is just a waste of money.îDistrict manager Tim Hunker discussed plans for Falcon Freedom Days, the July 3 festival sponsored by the metro district. ìThe budget for the event this year is $46,000,î Hunker said. The district board agreed to fund no more than $25,000, and the remainder of the money will be solicited from the developer and local businesses. ìThis is a great community event, and it’s not that much compared to other communities across the country,î Woods said. ìThe same fireworks show you could get on the 4th of July are half-price on the third.î Last year’s fireworks show was canceled because of the Black Forest fire.
