Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust approves legal engagement for Atoka pipeline; GM reports $2M wastewater carryover and largely full lakes

The Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust on Feb. 25 approved a consent docket, a concurrence docket related to a roadway widening project and a letter of engagement with Phillips Murrah for legal services tied to potential litigation over the Atoka pipeline construction project.

The trust also heard a fiscal update from General Manager Mister Browning, who said the utility's transition to Oracle has complicated producing a monthly pro forma but that "there is about a $2,000,000 increase in our expected expenses for f y 25 for wastewater. We don't feel that that's gonna be a problem. We'll be able to recover from that just fine." Browning reported that most municipal reservoirs are at or near capacity: "Hefner is full... Draper is at 2.8 feet below full pool," he said, adding that Canton and McGee Creek are full and Atoka is about a half-foot above full pool.

The approvals were recorded in the meeting transcript as passing by voice; the transcript records no roll-call tallies or named vote counts. The concurrence docket covers a roadway-widening project near Britton and Kelly and, according to the transcript, involves no ACWIT funds. Item 6 on the agenda, described in the transcript as "a Letter of Engagement, with the State of Oklahoma City and Phillips Murrah for legal services related to a, potential litigation, down off the Atoka pipeline construction project," was also approved.

Browning praised staff response to recent severe weather and operational challenges. During the meeting he said the utility experienced a difficult week of waterline repairs, service shutoffs for some customers and staff travel disruptions but that the utility "had no, interruptions of service, other than those occasional pain breaks. Everybody did an outstanding job, and I wanna thank them for their hard work and their dedication and their commitment to service." Trustees and other speakers at the meeting joined in thanking utility crews, road crews and Embark drivers for their efforts during the storm.

No formal motions recorded in the transcript include mover/second names or tallies; the transcript logs the motions as made and then records "And it passes." The trust did not record additional formal directions or assigned follow-ups during the portions of the meeting in the transcript.

Votes at a glance - Consent docket: Motion to approve consent docket — outcome: approved (vote tally not specified in transcript). - Concurrence docket (roadway widening at Britton/Kelly): Motion to approve concurrence docket — outcome: approved; transcript notes no ACWIT funds involved; vote tally not specified. - Letter of Engagement (Phillips Murrah; potential litigation re Atoka pipeline): Motion to approve letter of engagement — outcome: approved; vote tally not specified.

Context and next steps The letter of engagement authorizes the trust to retain outside counsel (Phillips Murrah) for potential litigation related to the Atoka pipeline construction project; the transcript does not include contract terms, fees or a timeline for the legal work. Browning's budget note flagged an approximately $2,000,000 expense carryover into FY25 for wastewater tied to invoices from FY24; he characterized the increase as manageable but did not provide a revised pro forma in the meeting. Lake-level figures reported by Browning provide operational context for supply planning but the trust did not take formal action on water management or reservoir releases in this session.

The meeting adjourned following the general manager's report and trustee remarks.