Florence council approves ordinance authorizing up to $270 million in bonds for water and sewer projects

The Florence City Council on second reading approved bill 2025-26, an amendment to a prior bond ordinance that authorizes up to $270,000,000 in bonds to fund improvements to the city's waterworks and sewer systems.

Council Manager Bailey asked staff for clarification before the vote. Scotty, a city staff member who presented details of the ordinance, said the bond package includes about $80,000,000 earmarked for water-quality work across the system, roughly $35,000,000 for upfitting a surface-water treatment plant to increase capacity from 10 million gallons per day to 15 million gallons per day, and additional projects targeting sewer bottlenecks on the city's east side. He said the council will initially issue approximately $127,000,000, borrowing only what can reasonably be spent over the next year or two and returning later to issue more as projects continue.

The ordinance addresses long-standing water-quality concerns tied primarily to iron and sediment in groundwater-fed plants, the presentation said. Scotty described plans to install or expand automated monitoring (SCADA) at a number of plants so staff can receive real-time data and respond more quickly to problems: "We have the computerized systems called our SCADA system. That will be on a number of our plants there, and that will give us immediate information about that plant and the type of product it's producing," he said.

Council members pressed staff on scope and timing. Scotty estimated the water-quality work would take about five years to substantially address, though he cautioned that some plant rebuilds, engineering, bidding and weather could lengthen schedules. Councilman McCray asked whether sewer capacity constraints would also be addressed; Scotty said capacity work is included and noted particular problem areas at Second Loop Road and infiltration from Jeffreys Creek that increase treatment demand.

Councilman Paul praised staff for reducing costs on a major plant upfit that allowed the city to scale the project from an earlier 20 million-gallon target down to 15 million gallons per day and free up capacity for other projects. On financing, Scotty said Florence's credit ratings (double-A ratings noted from the firms cited) and financial reserves support the city's ability to borrow to repay the bonds over time; bond counsel and financial advisers were involved in structuring the issue.

Councilmembers took a voice vote; the mayor declared "the ayes have it." The transcript does not record a roll-call tally or the names of the mover and seconder. The presenter said the city will phase borrowing and return to council for additional issuances as projects progress.

The ordinance amends a longstanding bond authorization (a bond ordinance adopted Oct. 24, 1989, as amended) to add the listed water and sewer improvements; the vote grants city staff and bond counsel authority to move into the financing and project phases identified in the ordinance.

Next steps outlined by staff include detailed engineering, bidding and phased borrowing; specific project schedules and contract awards were not finalized at the meeting. The council did not set new rate changes during the session and made no formal decision in the meeting text about how project costs will be distributed among ratepayers.