[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6165946,"mediaKeyId","5416787-5b9dbec20000e1e9f9dcfa10ae6880d4","parentId",5416787,"title","Committee discusses reversing readiness-to-serve charges after vacancy complaints; staff asked to draft ordinance","audioSeconds",2421,"startMs",1350000,"endMs",3771000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5416787-5b9dbec20000e1e9f9dcfa10ae6880d4&start=1350&end=3771","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5416787-5b9dbec20000e1e9f9dcfa10ae6880d4/thumbnail_1350000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6165946/Topeka-City/Shawnee-County/Kansas/Committee-discusses-reversing-readiness-to-serve-charges-after-vacancy-complaints-staff-asked-to-draft-ordinance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6165946-8726959cf6495dd42d894a5245829e82/orig.mp4?Expires=1776304804&Signature=d0yH2SY8M4LIZ3Pj5rOblFfGJDKTBiOoFksZCpHkqXyYAQPos1SFuk51Th7XetV6tZ4-LdNTXUTgHlsJ44rRpd9FNNcprFh1zv68mLDwhrtRS8eKZFxEIZlWRjM4BPqnh~22vCsod7ZA-b776FIVbngscd6XreuB2~V7DZW5-bZweVFYcuUPs97HQWL2i1jQkBJdbfxXAbGJUV6rTIYMqHZaJfMnezcgHK0XQpBJVTEdho2R-7FVtaX7uqImzFRDhBdKHe64Sd~WCRQdnURbzwcEeBZqAlBDzAz5c4-V8HgGpMolTJAVoHo-cahloMTDqFiB4tPeYXa-5nJ5P0EM~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Topeka, KS","date","2025-07-15T00:00:00Z","article","The Infrastructure Committee on July 15 discussed reversing a 2024 change that applied a “readiness-to-serve” charge to all metered properties — including vacant or inactive accounts — and asked staff to draft ordinance language to return to a model where owners who take service offline are not billed the base charge.

Director Davis, utilities director, said the city began applying the readiness-to-serve charge in 2024 to fulfill an ordinance that historically existed but had not been consistently charged. Staff told the committee that charging readiness-to-serve to inactive accounts generates approximately $500,000 in additional revenue for water and about $500,000 for wastewater in the city’s forecasts; staff also said 97–98% of customers are active users and thus already pay the readiness-to-serve charge.

Committee members and staff outlined impacts and mitigation: reversing the application to inactive accounts would shift roughly $1 million in revenue onto active users unless the council offsets it with a modest per-account increase; staff estimated that making up the revenue gap would mean roughly a $0.90 monthly increase for an average residential water customer and a similar amount for wastewater in a future rate year. Director Davis said loss of the readiness-to-serve revenue would force cuts to planned operating and capital projects in 2026 and beyond unless the council identifies replacement revenue.

Council members also discussed the city’s $500,000 water-assistance program created with part of the rate changes. Nicole Milot and the city manager said the program was funded as part of the rate structure; the city has allocated just over $100,000 of that amount to date and $87,000 had been approved the prior year for assistance. Members said they want the assistance program preserved and suggested spreading necessary revenue adjustments across all rates in 2026 rather than keeping readiness-to-serve on inactive accounts.

Committee members directed staff to draft ordinance language that would (1) change the readiness-to-serve terminology back to “base charge,” (2) eliminate application of that base charge to non‑using properties, and (3) return to the committee for consideration. Staff also said the city has paused placing liens related to unpaid readiness-to-serve balances while the council considers the policy change; unpaid balances for vacant properties from 2024 and 2025 total about $645,000, staff said.

Public commenters raised concerns: a property owner asked how the city will collect charges on inactive meters and whether unpaid balances will be placed on property tax bills; a church representative asked to have stormwater charges removed because the commenter said runoff did not connect to the city storm-drain system; other commenters said meters were removed to avoid the charge, questioned the legality of charging inactive properties, and described high bills for minimal water use. Staff said they will follow up with individual account questions and that staff will return ordinance language to the committee for review.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Topeka City Public Infrastructure Committee Meeting July 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The committee debated restoring the pre‑2024 ‘base charge’ approach after applying readiness-to-serve charges to all metered properties produced new bills and revenue; staff were asked to draft ordinance language to reverse applying the charge to inactive meters and present it to the committee.","taxTitle","Topeka City, Shawnee County, Kansas","taxId",4988,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6165951,"Committee approves $3.6M–$4M wastewater projects to cut odors and replace failing lift stations",410,895000,1305000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5416787-5b9dbec20000e1e9f9dcfa10ae6880d4&start=895&end=1305","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5416787-5b9dbec20000e1e9f9dcfa10ae6880d4/thumbnail_895000.jpg","/articles/6165951/Topeka-City/Shawnee-County/Kansas/Committee-approves-36M4M-wastewater-projects-to-cut-odors-and-replace-failing-lift-stations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6165951-6d7ec8303e3cba4c3b537fff1ca8cd02/orig.mp4?Expires=1776304804&Signature=Pwcj0iZ9~mzz7lmYJ93LPe26Lmvhmen0o5ccYUSnOhov~o75xMnd1lgYjLg0rWUEWZpxldYGB0SAWHUSvcHTitSRnju6ICx-okpwjNC2TabQvmbJ-h6DfEhOLHUymB2U-7xoNise7Oxjo-dyW4dpnEdZrWYkBFEjukkMdJiwOraHc03qcLCp4VOCqdSY1hEcoLuXaamveMX3ZKGOJ~AUTI~SkZ4GbME8JTxlcN~ObX7K81~IjDyWIxPnDGAua0pZWWxDv~yBEcQhtuUQTmFp~AFgRNuGKv1~aWiOrLm993t09JA~s8Y-UU~-BM5M8dKshXbKv1uuaTzC5YGGp7oL2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Infrastructure Committee on July 15 approved multiple utilities projects intended to reduce hydrogen sulfide (H2S) odors and replace failing wastewater pump stations, mostly on the city’s south and east sides. The committee voted 3-0 to forward funding requests for both the odor-control installations and the Lake Shawnee-area pump-station replacements.

Director Davis, utilities director, told the committee the utilities department has historically been reactive in addressing odor problems and currently spends $400,000 to $500,000 a year on chemicals to control odors. After system studies, staff recommended installing a “super-oxygenated” system at the Central Park Pump Station (requested amount $3,600,000) and a small digester at the Rock Fire North Pump Station to introduce oxygen into flows and reduce H2S generation. Staff said if the pilot projects reduce H2S levels, they will bring further improvements for other locations in the system.

Separately, staff requested just over $4,000,000 to replace three antiquated pumps around Lake Shawnee with two new pump stations and to realign some force main sections; removing one pump station is expected to reduce long-term operations and maintenance costs. Director Davis said the work will remove aging equipment, decrease operating costs and improve reliability.

Council members asked about neighborhood impacts and whether the Central Park work would affect Collins Park; Davis said she would follow up with a definitive answer but indicated Collins Park is served by downstream flows from other areas and might be addressed by subsequent projects. Council members also asked whether the oxygenation system would reduce chemical purchases; Davis said yes and said the department anticipates savings on chemical costs.

Both requests were moved and seconded and passed unanimously (3-0) in committee. Staff said design is complete for the Lake Shawnee work and procurement will proceed after committee and governing‑body approvals.

","The utilities director described odor-control upgrades and a multi‑pump-station replacement plan; the committee approved a $3.6 million oxygenation/digester project and a separate roughly $4 million project to consolidate and replace Lake Shawnee-area pump stations.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6165956,"Committee approves $300,000 budget increase for 20th Ninth Street box culvert after BNSF inspection costs",323,83000,406000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5416787-5b9dbec20000e1e9f9dcfa10ae6880d4&start=83&end=406","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5416787-5b9dbec20000e1e9f9dcfa10ae6880d4/thumbnail_83000.jpg","/articles/6165956/Topeka-City/Shawnee-County/Kansas/Committee-approves-300000-budget-increase-for-20th-Ninth-Street-box-culvert-after-BNSF-inspection-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6165956-ec3f3d7b5b360d09a96d48e1cba5608f/orig.mp4?Expires=1776304805&Signature=XvhhN~YhOhhhdq3z2QoUxFxvQh0~4P2KLT3eltJ9VltaVvc~InC0RRgMSy9KbvDhwRcnPlnLAyvMcf7tDnmev-ZPkn8zcs~iutuMv7HxLW7jI7d5gz03UVblWG~~IxFYDHw0RcYYjCk2K6baixVx80hJ~wZNW6BkrxZnI64w7yylMMquTMMiT8JFaKxLtDkZ~qZP-Xh04fGsk6dEBYGW7RKXwdLNC9~qoi1X1NN3L3dMWAhOdCE5hVPlOm5QxPNgKYDDMtYeRxcO5dGJN87m5Juo-VKCdIA0-VaqJwgPbGn1OFlTJilIakEpPgz2FTPNNGv3o1RfhDvYptVel~Mzrw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Infrastructure Committee on July 15 approved increasing the capital budget for a box culvert and water-main project on Southeast 20 Ninth Street to cover additional railroad inspection and flagging costs related to work under the BNSF railroad. The committee voted 3-0 to advance the change to the capital improvement program and to rescind Resolution 9,632 so federal funds exchange can be used to pay the increase.

Committee members and staff said the work replaces a reinforced concrete box culvert under a railroad bridge where Butcher Creek runs, and that BNSF inspections and flagging will add roughly $300,000 to the project. Steve Grown, public works director, told the committee the BNSF submission lists inspection costs at $1,400 per day plus $400 mobilization and that it is unclear whether one or two flaggers will be required.

The city plans to phase construction to keep Southeast 20 Ninth Street open except during the box-culvert replacements. Joe Harrington, the city project manager, estimated the road will require a full closure twice: an estimated five months for the box culvert (two crews, about four months of active work inside that estimate) and an additional closure for water-line work at the 20 Ninth and Adams intersection. Staff said the project is ready to go to bid now and that postponing could expose the city to higher steel or materials costs because of anticipated tariff discussions.

Council members pressed staff on access for nearby businesses. Councilwoman Ortiz said she had been contacted by a business owner on 20 Ninth who fears losing customers because the property has only one entrance. Grown said staff will phase the work to maintain access for property owners and will coordinate temporary access where needed, but acknowledged the project will unavoidably disrupt through traffic. Staff also said medians will be removed in an early phase to maintain traffic flow and reinstalled after work is complete.

The committee also authorized using a federal funds exchange to pay the increased amount. Members said they hoped to have the governing body consider the amendment the same evening so procurement and bidding could proceed without further delay.

Timeline and scope: staff indicated culvert work will begin in the winter, with significant activity through 2026 into 2027; work includes full-depth patching, curb-and-gutter and sidewalk replacements as part of the broader street-improvement project. The committee approved the action 3-0.

Notes: staff characterized the work as necessary to reduce recurrent flooding at that location and to replace aging water infrastructure; they also noted uncertainty in railroad-related requirements that emerged after earlier budget work.

","The Infrastructure Committee approved a budget amendment and a related resolution rescission to cover railroad inspection and flagging costs for a reinforced concrete box culvert replacement on Southeast 20 Ninth Street; construction will be phased and require short full closures of the road for an estimated five months.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee discusses reversing readiness-to-serve charges after vacancy complaints; staff asked to draft ordinance

Committee approves $3.6M–$4M wastewater projects to cut odors and replace failing lift stations

Committee approves $300,000 budget increase for 20th Ninth Street box culvert after BNSF inspection costs