The Willard Water Advisory Board voted to recommend that the Board of Aldermen authorize the city to sign a contract to purchase Stockton Lake water storage through the Southwest Missouri Joint Water Commission, a regional effort to add long-term water supply for southwest Missouri.

The recommendation follows a presentation by Roddy Rogers of the Southwest Missouri coalition describing a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reallocation of Stockton Lake and the Commission's offer to members to buy portions of the storage. Rogers told the advisory board the reallocation has been approved at the assistant secretary of the army level and described the current financing options and likely Willard share and cost.

Why it matters: the Coalition's plan would add regional storage to address a projected groundwater shortfall in the region. Rogers said the full allocation would yield roughly 39 million gallons per day and that Willard's proposed share (about 1,195 acre-feet) would supply about 0.5 million gallons per day for the city. Rogers told the board the Commission negotiated substantially reduced purchase pricing for current participants and said the present price is a one-time opportunity to buy at the discounted level.

Board discussion and vote: Rogers outlined three membership options: sign on immediately and begin payments, delay signing and accept less favorable terms, or decline the storage. Several members said they viewed the current price and terms as unusually favorable and urged prompt participation. One board member moved that the advisory board recommend the city join the reallocation and give the city authority to sign the pass-through contract once final terms are complete; another member seconded. The board voted in favor; the motion carried.

Terms and cost details presented: Rogers and staff said the allocation under discussion is for acre-feet of storage; the Commission's cost model put Willard's share at about $26,000 per year during the repayment period, with an estimated ongoing operations-and-maintenance charge of roughly $5,000 per year after the initial repayment period. Rogers repeatedly characterized the opportunity as a rare, discounted acquisition, saying it was "a one-time shot" and that the current pricing would not likely return.

Unresolved items and next steps: the Commission and state agencies are still discussing possible state financial support that could reduce Willard's share. The advisory board recommended that the Board of Aldermen give staff authority to sign the pass-through contract on the city's behalf once final legal terms are complete and within a limited cost variance; advisory members said they will present the recommendation at the Board of Aldermen meeting.

Provenance: Excerpts of Rogers' presentation and the subsequent motion and vote appear in the meeting transcript.