City officials flag emergency water-main replacements; vote will require supermajority

City staff told the Board of Aldermen that emergency bids have been taken to replace two sections of water main and that funding the work will require a supermajority vote when the appropriation is considered. "We have an emergency water main replacement that we took bids on, and that is was not appropriated as part of the budget. So when it comes time to vote, it will need a super majority," the city staff member said.

The repairs identified in staff remarks covered a water main near Northwest School and a separate main on Creve Court and Gunn, and the staff member said bids were opened last Thursday and the bid documents are included in the meeting packet. The staff member said the city likely has unspent budget authority that could cover the work but wanted the aldermen to be aware in advance of the need for a supermajority appropriation.

The nut graf: The notice puts the funding decision on an upcoming agenda. Because the appropriation was not in the adopted budget, aldermen will need to vote with the larger-than-normal threshold described by staff before the city can spend on the replacements.

Board discussion at the meeting consisted of the staff explanation; no formal motion to appropriate funds or to award a contract appeared in the transcript excerpts. The staff member did not identify the statute or ordinance that defines the supermajority threshold; the official said only that a supermajority will be required. The staff member also said the bids and related dollar amounts are included in the packet but did not state the bid totals during the meeting.

The city will bring the appropriation and any contract award back to the board for formal action at a later meeting, at which point the measure will need the supermajority described by staff.