Dietze and Davis, P.C.

Carolyn Steffl

Carolyn Steffl has been practicing law in Colorado since 2002, focusing on special district, local government, water and real property law.   She joined Dietze and Davis as a shareholder in 2021. 

Carolyn serves as general counsel to water and sanitation districts and metropolitan districts throughout Colorado.  She has extensive experience with open meetings and open records law, budgeting and rate-setting, public financing and capital construction, election law, water and wastewater treatment and requirements, intergovernmental agreements, employment issues, and other special district matters. 

She has also been engaged to help special districts with one-time needs, including drafting water and wastewater regulations, inclusions/exclusions, contracts, loans, grants, and well permitting.  She responds quickly to client requests and uses her experience to efficiently address legal issues, helping clients achieve their goals of improving their communities.

As part of her special district practice, Carolyn represents several municipalities, as special counsel on metropolitan districts.  In that capacity, she advises the cities and towns on their special district policies and regulations, and she reviews applications for approval of service plans and service plan amendments. 

For Carolyn’s private landowner clients, she helps negotiate and draft contracts for their property to receive service from special districts.  In addition, Carolyn represents clients in a variety of matters involving real estate and water law issues, including water rights title transfers, easement issues, annexation, zoning and land use approval, and homeowners association issues. 

Carolyn received her law degree from the University of Colorado Law School in 2002.  Following law school, Carolyn clerked for the Honorable Gregory J. Hobbs of the Colorado Supreme Court.  Carolyn then practiced special district and municipal law with Icenogle, Norton, Smith and Blieszner, P.C.  From 2009 until 2021, Carolyn practiced water law and special district law with Moses, Wittemyer, Harrison and Woodruff, P.C., before joining Dietze and Davis.

Carolyn serves on the Board of Directors of the Boulder County Bar Association. She is actively involved in the Colorado Women’s Bar Association and the Special District Association of Colorado, where she serves on the special district legislative committee.

Carolyn regularly speaks to special district representatives and attorneys on a variety of legal topics.

Outside of work, Carolyn is kept busy by two teenage kids, community involvement, exploration of Colorado, and her voracious reading.

Publications

“New Year? Time for a New Records Retention Policy.” SDA newsletter March 2021.

Drowning in Paper? A records retention policy is a lifesaver.” SDA newsletter, July 2016.

“TABOR Enterprises.” Colorado Special District Association Newsletter, August 2013.

Carolyn R. Herb, The Tulsequah Chief Mine and the Fate of the Taku River, Colo. J. Int’l Envtl. L. & Pol’y 2000 Y.B. 107 (2001).

Elizabeth Beaver, et al., Natural Resources Law Center, Seeing the Forest Service for the Trees: A Survey of Proposals for Changing National Forest Policy (2000).

Carolyn R. Herb & Chuan-Chuan Wang, Remediation of Suspected Environmentally Contaminated Tax-Delinquent Properties in the City of Milwaukee (The Milwaukee-La Follette Policy Analysis Project ed., 1999).

Speeches

“The Rule World: Key Terms for Your Water and Sanitation Rules and Regs,” Colorado Special District Association Conference September 2019.

“Identifying and Managing Conflicts of Interest,” Colorado Special District Association Conference 2018.

“Making the Most of Your Special District,” Boulder County Bar Association CLE, October 2017.

Presentation regarding Special Districts to Northern Colorado Municipal Clerks Association, August 2016.

“IGAs: Collaborating with Other Local Governments to Achieve Your Goals,” Colorado Special District Association Conference 2016.

Panel Discussion, “Special District Capital Financing 101,” Colorado Special District Association Conference 2015.

Carolyn R. Steffl and Anne Bensard, “Campaigning on the Clock and Other Special District Election No-Nos,” Colorado Special District Association Conference 2014.

Carolyn R. Steffl, Monica Rosenbluth and Georgeann Becker, “The Next Generation for the Enterprise: Using TABOR Enterprises to Maximize Your District’s Financial Flexibility,” Colorado Special District Association Conference 2013.

Carolyn R. Steffl and Patricia DeChristopher, “Going with the Flow: Colorado Water Law,” Colorado Special District Association Conference 2012.

Carolyn R. Steffl, Timothy J. Beaton, and James Jones, “Navigating through Land Use Obstacles,” Colorado Special District Association Conference 2010.