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Council approves notice to proceed for Carl Brownutility rate analysis; budget item noted
Summary
Tonganoxie City Council directed staff to issue a notice to proceed to consultant Carl Brown for a utility rate analysis (service packages 1 and 2) and discussed budget support from the water and sewer operations fund; the study will update the 2019 analysis and is offered under the Kansas Rural Water Association program.
The Tonganoxie City Council voted on July 21 to direct city staff to accept the proposal from Carl Brown of gettinggreatrates.com and issue a notice to proceed for service packages 1 and 2 of a utility-rate analysis.
Councilmember Dale moved the action to authorize staff to issue the notice to proceed; Councilmember Stevens seconded, and the motion carried by voice vote.
The work is offered through the Kansas Rural Water Association (KRWA) rates program, which provides discounted analysis pricing for KRWA members. City staff said Carl Brown was the principal on the city's last comprehensive rate analysis, completed in 2019 and enacted in 2020, and recommended moving ahead with a new study. Kent Heskett (city staff) and other staff reviewed the proposal and said they "don't have any concerns with the proposal as presented," according to the presentation.
Funding and scope: During the discussion the council also reviewed budget implications. Staff noted the study fee from Carl Brown is within the city's budgeted expectation (the proposal materials referenced a budget ceiling of up to $20,000 for the project), and the report will be paid from the water and sewer operations fund. A councilmember moved to include $20,000 in the 2025 adopted budget from the water and sewer operations fund to support the project; that motion was made during the same agenda item and recorded in the transcript.
Report content and timeline: City staff said the deliverable generally will include a 15- to 25-page detailed analysis and a summarized set of results and recommendations. Staff recommended acceptance of the scope and asked council to authorize staff to issue the notice to proceed so work can begin.
Operational question raised by council: A councilmember asked whether current regulations address separate irrigation-only meters for large landscape watering systems; staff said the matter could be added to the consultant's scope for review.
Ending: With the council's direction, staff will issue the notice to proceed to Carl Brown and bill the work to the water and sewer operations fund; staff will return results and recommendations in a forthcoming report.
