Water & Sewer Committee recommends codifying annual October review of utility funds

The Findlay City Water and Sewer Committee recommended that the City Council amend its rules of procedure to require an annual utility fund review in October.

Committee leadership presented language based on the committee's water and sewer rules that would add a formal cadence for reviewing the water, sewer and stormwater funds. Committee members said the October timing gives staff three full quarters of data to refine pro forma forecasts while still allowing any recommendations to reach council before the budget process advances beyond the council's second October meeting.

Committee Chair said the proposed language is drawn from existing water-and-sewer rules and would require the committee to "meet on an as needed basis and annually" in October "for the purpose of reviewing a comprehensive analysis of the water fund and the sewer fund and any proposed recommendations for water, wastewater, and/or stormwater rate adjustments." Several members said they favored keeping flexibility in the rules so staff can call earlier meetings in complex years.

After discussion about timing and the need to finalize materials before the council's second October meeting, a committee member moved to recommend the rule change and a second was recorded. The committee conducted a voice vote; members responded "aye" and the recommendation to amend the council rules and the water and sewer rules to specify October as the annual review meeting was approved.

Committee members said the amendment formalizes a practice they have followed in recent years and will put meeting frequency into written procedure so future membership understands the expectation to review fund performance annually.

No memorandum or ordinance number was provided at the meeting; staff said the next steps are to revise the rule text, place the change on a future council agenda for approval and republish the rules.