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City manager says wastewater fund must be fixed after $43 million project; rate review promised
Summary
Liberal City Manager Scarlett told the commission the city must address the wastewater fund after construction of a $43 million facility, saying rate changes are likely and more details will be brought to a future meeting.
Liberal City Manager Scarlett said the city must take action to restore the wastewater fund after construction of a $43,000,000 wastewater facility and indicated a review of utility rates is forthcoming.
Scarlett told the Liberal City Commission that the city cannot “build a $43,000,000 facility and not look at rates,” and that staff will pursue a plan to “save this sewer fund.”
The manager presented that the wastewater and construction funds require detailed review and that staff will return with proposals; she said the city has been tracing historical financial decisions for the past 10–15 years to assemble a corrective plan. Scarlett described the topic as urgent: “we don’t have any more time to push it down the road.”
Scarlett brought the matter during the City Manager’s Report portion of the meeting and framed it as a fiscal responsibility to maintain services after a large capital investment. She said the city will continue to analyze fund balances and options and report back at the next meeting.
The remarks were delivered as part of the city manager’s regular report; the commission did not take formal action on rates or adopt a plan at this meeting. Scarlett also noted broader budget and capital concerns in the wastewater and construction funds and asked staff and commissioners to prepare for follow-up discussions.
