Council approves $488,664 Jacobs contract modification for lead and copper compliance work

The City Council approved action item 6,465, a $488,664 modification to the existing Jacobs Engineering Group contract for asset and information services for the water distribution system, extending the contract through June 30, 2026. Staff said the change is required to comply with revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule.

Director Schultz and other staff said the work is interrelated—modeling, mapping, outreach and asset lifecycle management all contribute to the city’s lead program. Staff estimated the total contract value after this amendment will be about $2.47 million. They said roughly $1.6 million of program costs previously related to lead mapping and outreach; the recent addition of $488,664 is drawn from capital accounts in the Water Division enterprise fund.

Councilors pressed staff on how much of the modification is dedicated to lead service line planning versus broader asset management. Staff estimated 25–30% of the new funding will cover lead planning, with the remainder supporting system asset mapping, public education, and modernization (dashboards, story maps and searchable data). Council members asked about replacement strategy and funding: staff said replacement of lead service lines is largely contingent on external funding (SRF, congressional appropriations, state allocations) and that without new federal or state grants the full 10‑year replacement program cannot be executed.

Councilor Collin asked about $116,000 within the amendment described as public education and outreach; staff clarified it is intended to modernize customer‑facing systems (new web pages, dashboards, maps, data presentation) rather than a pure public‑relations campaign. The administration said expenditures from the amendment will be managed and approved by city staff.

The council approved the modification on a voice vote.