Fort Lupton City Council unanimously authorized watering restrictions that begin June 1.

Exemptions are in place for Coyote Creek Golf Course and the city’s parks. The restrictions stay in place through the end of August.

The rules include no outside watering during the hottest part of the day (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), but there will be exceptions for non-potable irrigation. Those with newly planted lawns (sod or seed) can receive a three-week waiver per address per calendar year. Those waivers are available at City Hall.

Public Works Director Roy Vestal said last month the restrictions are due to the ongoing drought and have nothing to do with the city’s existing water supply.          

Transportation

After some concern about the price tag, Fort Lupton City Council agreed to pay a little less than $27,000 over the next two years for multimodal transportation and mitigation options fund for Via Mobility.

Staff notes said Weld County is putting together a draft for funding for this on-demand transit service for those at least age 60 plus individuals with disabilities. The service is free.

One similar project targeted Firestone, Erie and areas as far north as Berthoud. This project is targeting what officials called “the upper Front Range(Gilcrest, Fort Lupton, Platteville and Gilcrest, among other locations.

Mayor Zo Stieber wondered why Fort Lupton’s cost was higher than other areas. Evan Pinkham, a transportation planner with the Weld County Public Works Department, said the original plan was to base the cost on riders.

“Because of the difference in riders from these areas, we based it on population,” he said. “We looked at the rider numbers, and we felt like the population was the best way to divvy up that share.”

Pinkham left open the possibility that the next funding package could be based on ridership numbers.

Weld County and other communities are expected to participate. The estimated amount for a 2024 contribution from Fort Lupton is $47,000, according to staff notes.