Tuscaloosa finance committee hears $7 million water and sewer capital proposal, schedules votes on several budget revisions

City of Tuscaloosa staff recommended a $7,000,000 package of water and sewer capital projects to the Finance Committee and asked that the projects be scheduled for full City Council consideration.

The recommendation is drawn from a 6% annual rate increase the council adopted in fiscal 2021 and that the city places into a dedicated 10‑year water and sewer escrow, staff said. Carly Standridge, a finance staff member, told the committee the escrow has been used to front‑pay design and acquisition costs and was holding about $9.5 million in 2024; staff said those fronted costs will be reimbursed from an upcoming bond issuance.

Kimberly Michael, a Water and Sewer Department staff member, described seven capital recommendations that together total $7 million and said most are intended to be smaller, quicker projects rather than larger bond‑scale work. She listed work that staff prioritized based on project readiness, timing with bond projects and emergent needs.

The projects staff presented included: an estimated $1.2 million engineering phase to rehabilitate the Mercedes Force Main and several lift stations (stations 39, 40, 41 and 15) to prepare the work for bidding; phase 3 improvements at the Water Resource Recovery Facility focused on aeration‑basin equipment, blowers and the return activated sludge (RAS) system; a Hillcrest tank rehabilitation that also requires variable…