20241107Comment_1.pdf

From: Shailey Preece<[e-mail]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 6, 2024 1:13 PM
To: secretary
Subject: Case#ASP-W-24-03 -Comments
Hey there,
My name is Travis Eynon and I am submitting comments on Case#ASP-W-24-03.
I feel like an audit into Aspen Creek Water Company is due.
I have documents and dates backing up all claims I have made in my letter. If you would like any of them
please let me know and I can send them over.
Thankyou!
ATTACHMENT: ACM WATER COMPANY EMAIL
I hope this message finds you well. My name is Travis Eynon, 1 live at 703 Loveland Lane. 1 am
reaching out to seek your guidance regarding some concerning developments with the Aspen
Creek Water Company.
Recently, we received a notice indicating that the current fee for a water hook-up is$1,000. This
raised significant concerns for me, particularly given my previous experiences with the company. In 2023,
I built a home(717 Loveland Lane)and paid a total of$13,000 for a water hook-up, which included a
$5,000 connection fee and an additional$7,000 for boring under the road. My crew and I performed all
the labor, such as digging and setting the pit, while the water company only tapped into their main line.
In 2024, 1 built another home (12 Country Bear Circle)and again faced an increased fee of
$6,000 for the hook-up, along with labor costs. This included connecting the pipe we provided to
their water meter, a task that took them approximately 20 minutes. 1 also constructed my
personal home(703 Loveland Lane) that year, paying the same fees as before—$6,000 for the
hook-up and another$7,000 for boring—again performing the majority of the labor myself.
In total, I have paid over$31,000 in water hook-up fees, which seems disproportionate,
especially when the recent notice states the price should be$1,000, inclusive of all services. A
total of$3,000 for all three homes. I can very easily be misinterpreting this statement, but I do
not think I am.
Additionally, I am alarmed by Aspen Creek Water Company's proposal to increase the monthly
water bill by 304%. Based on my research, this would position Aspen Creek Meadows'rates as
the highest in Bear Lake County. For comparison, other local subdivisions charge significantly
less: The Reserve charges around$46 monthly for homes, Bear Lake West HOA charges
$12.50, Bear Lake West POA charges$14.50, the City of Saint Charles charges$26, and the
City of Bloomington charges$29.
1 am currently being charged$350 a year by Aspen Creek Water Company. Which equals just
over$29 a month, not$25.

Many neighbors and I believe that individually metering each home would be a more fair
approach, especially considering the varying water usage among properties. For instance, a
large 7,000 square foot home with a large indoor swimming pool cannot compare to my own 2
bedroom 1 bathroom home.
I also have concerns about potential conflicts of interest involving Bart McKinnon, the owner of
Aspen Creek Water Company. He has begun developing a new subdivision that advertises
using Aspen Creek Water Company for water services, coinciding with this proposed rate
increase. There is also a large lot listed for sale across from Loveland Lane advertising Aspen
Creek Meadows Water Company as the potential source of water. Bart is also in the process of
building another pump house for this subdivision. This raises questions about the motivations
behind these decisions.
I would appreciate your insight into this situation. Thank you for your attention to this matter.