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City reviews water and wastewater upgrades, plans commercial rate change; no residential increase
Summary
City staff reported completed and ongoing water and sewer projects, a smart‑meter rollout and talks to assume a nearby system; leaders said no residential rate increase will be proposed but commercial rates would rise, with changes to take effect Oct. 1.
City staff on Wednesday updated the City Council on multiple water and wastewater projects, a continuing smart‑meter installation and talks to take over a nearby private water system, and said the administration will pursue a rate increase for commercial customers while leaving residential rates unchanged.
Council work‑session attendees heard that the city received two energy‑efficiency grants and has opened paperwork on both projects, that several clarifier and structural repairs are complete or near closeout, and that the AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) smart‑meter replacement is under way.
The updates matter because ongoing infrastructure work and meter replacements affect water quality, system reliability and the utility budget. Staff framed the commercial rate proposal as a way to avoid raising residential rates while addressing rising utility costs.
Glenn Miller, who presented the utilities update, said the city was granted two energy‑efficiency grants and had begun required paperwork. Miller described work at multiple treatment sites, including retrofits at the Grand Labs pump station at Sugar Creek, clarifier replacements at Simba Creek, a new catwalk and monorail at the Adams facility, chemical feed‑line and hypochlorite system replacements, and electrical and motor replacements. He said: “we applied for both. And we were granted both grants. We're in the process of paperwork getting started on both of these.”
Miller reported system work totals for the fiscal year: 399 feet of service repairs; 21 manhole repairs; 76 manholes raised for paving projects; 653 feet of manually placed pipe; and 48,179 feet of pipe cleaned and videoed. He also said the utility currently had 11 sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) that staff were clearing in house.
Miller described the AMI meter changeout as ongoing citywide. “As of date, we've got 757 AMI meters tanked out and 236 quarterly for failure this year so far,” he said. He also described a partnership to run fiber to several facilities to improve internal controls and allow remote monitoring.
On a separate topic tied to the utility system footprint, Miller said staff are negotiating to take over the Hackneyville water system and are assembling paperwork. He said the system serves about 480 customers and that the Hackneyville system already uses AMR (automated meter reading) technology. Miller said he and another staffer, David, had discussed the takeover and that they expected the city could handle the system’s capital and operations needs if the agreement is completed.
Regarding rates, the administration said it will not pursue a residential rate increase at this time. Miller relayed that the mayor favored applying an increase to commercial customers only, and noted the city has one industrial customer classified on the commercial schedule. The presentation included a date for the change: Oct. 1. The transcript does not record a formal vote on the rate change.
Council members asked clarifying questions about maintenance practices and the meter rollout; Miller emphasized preventive maintenance. The administration confirmed some projects remain in closeout and that contractors will finish restoration work on Cody Creek and highway utility relocations before final acceptance.
Less urgent details included recent pump and motor replacements (one 500‑horse motor replaced), conversion from potassium permanganate to sodium permanganate in a chemical system, and installation of stainless‑steel piping and pump bases at a rehabilitated pump station.
The council did not take a formal vote on the commercial rate change or the Hackneyville takeover during the session; staff reported continuing negotiations and paperwork work and indicated items may return to the council for formal action.
Miller and other staff said they will return with any required agreement documents, final project closeout numbers and formal proposals for rate changes or system acquisition for the council to consider in a future meeting.
