Water, wastewater and stormwater positions tied to adopted rate study; Circle City operations to be assumed by Surprise

At the April 15 work session, City of Surprise staff reviewed enterprise-fund requests for water, wastewater and stormwater and said those requests follow a five-year rate study adopted by council last year.

Andrea Davis and finance staff said the rate study sets multi-year rates and affordability parameters; the FY2026 enterprise requests track growth assumptions in that study. Departments requested operations and maintenance staff, asset replacement and software and equipment upgrades as new developments come online.

On Circle City, a staff member identified as Mike explained that once Surprise takes over operations and maintenance of the Circle City facility the city will be responsible for daily checks and, ultimately, remote monitoring after planned improvements: "Once we take over the operations and maintenance of Circle City, we will have that responsibility. So we'll have operators check-in on that facility physically, likely twice a day. And then once we have all the improvements ... we'll be able to monitor that system remotely as well."

Staff reiterated that enterprise requests are funded from enterprise rates rather than the general fund, and that staffing additions are contingent on growth and revenue projections matching rate-study assumptions. Council did not take final votes on enterprise staffing at the work session; the tentative budget adoption on May 6 will present formal numbers.