Arkansas City approves $1 million amendment to 2024 water fund

Arkansas City commissioners voted to approve an ordinance amending specified funds in the city's 2024 budget, including a $1,000,000 increase to the water fund to cover unanticipated repair and engineering costs.

Finance Director and Treasurer Jennifer Wagner told the commission the increase is intended to cover higher-than-expected costs for Well 16 rehabilitation, engineering for improvements to the east pressure zone (work that will later be wrapped into an SRF loan) and replacement of reverse osmosis membranes at the large treatment plant. "I'm gonna increase it by $1,000,000, which is more than more than enough to get through the year," Wagner said.

The public hearing on the amendment was opened, members of the public were given an opportunity to speak (no sustained public testimony was recorded), and the commission closed the hearing before taking the matter up for ordinance approval.

A roll-call vote was held on the ordinance amending specified funds in the 2024 budget for the City of Arkansas City (for the year beginning Jan. 1, 2024). The presiding officer announced the motion passed after the roll call.

The ordinance will allow the city to encumber the additional funds for the water budget this year; city staff noted that approval does not require the city to spend the full additional amount if circumstances change. The amendment gives the city flexibility to respond to further surprises during the remainder of the fiscal year.

Next steps: the ordinance was adopted by the commission and will be implemented per city procedures as staff proceeds with the planned projects and purchases.