Council approves water‑reclamation change order, agrees to purchase downtown parcels and advances budget supplemental for open‑space fund transfer

Lafayette City Council on Sept. 2 approved a package of supplemental budget and project actions including a final change order for the Water Reclamation Facility improvements, authorization to purchase two downtown properties from JPMorgan Chase, and the first reading of an ordinance to appropriate funds and transfer legacy open‑space reserves.

Melanie Asquith, principal utilities engineer, said the WRF project was financed with a roughly $46.5 million municipal bond. Phase 1 is complete; Phase 2 continues and staff presented Change Order No. 11 as the last planned change order to complete construction. Asquith said the change order ‘‘does exceed those bond proceeds’’ by ‘‘a little over $3,000,000’’ and that funding will be covered within the water‑reclamation fund balance. Council approved the change order by roll call.

Economic development staff described a $2.6 million offer to purchase 108 and 200 North Public Road (the Chase Bank building and an adjacent parking lot). The acquisition is intended to secure public parking and to allow the city or an identified local buyer to activate the Chase building with sales‑tax‑generating uses. Council approved the resolution authorizing acquisition and ratifying the city manager’s execution of the purchase agreement (unanimous roll call).

On the budget ordinance (Ordinance 14, Series 2025) staff proposed a one‑time transfer of $1,950,000 from the legacy open‑space fund into the Post Fund to address prior open‑space maintenance expenditures that left the Post Fund underfunded. The ordinance passed first reading and will return for a second reading on Sept. 16.

Next steps: staff will finalize closing documents for the property purchase and prepare the second reading of the budget ordinance and related appropriation adjustments.