Council advances utility purchases, rate updates and an economic development staff position
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Summary
Committee moved ordinances and resolutions related to a $940,000 water-treatment land purchase, water/sewer and tap-fee updates, a $2 million gas line construction contract and a $750,000 stormwater appropriation to council; it also approved forwarding a new economic development business-development position at an SA pay grade.
Council considered a number of routine but consequential administrative and budget items during the committee meeting.
Public utilities staff asked the committee to send an ordinance forward to council to appropriate $940,000 from the water/sewer 2025 bond sales to purchase land adjacent to the city’s water treatment infrastructure; staff said the property owner accepted an appraisal and the purchase would secure access for the raw water intake project.
Finance staff presented updated water and sewer rates and proposed updates to tap fees and utility service extension regulations. The ordinance reflects recommendations presented by Jackson Thornton. Council members discussed irrigation charging approaches and asked staff to consider whether the meter charge for irrigation customers could be restructured and asked staff to bring alternatives back to council.
The committee also approved advancing a $2 million appropriation for annual gas-line construction work and a resolution ceasing a city natural-gas pilot-light service (to mitigate liability) with staff noting that the change would require the city to provide a list of licensed contractors to customers in need.
Public works requested $750,000 from stormwater utility funds to advance the Bly Avenue stormwater project in coordination with a road-widening project; the committee forwarded the appropriation to full council. Planning and engineering staff presented two subdivision sections for acceptance of public improvements and the committee moved those resolutions to council as well.
Separately, staff presented a proposed new economic-development position focused on business development (with emphasis on sports/visitor events and business recruitment). After discussion of comparable salaries and recruitment timing the committee amended the motion to recommend the SA pay grade and advanced the position to council for funding and posting. Several other personnel reclassifications and compensation updates in codes and permitting also moved to council.
What’s next: Council will consider appropriation ordinances, utility-rate changes and the personnel items in upcoming full-council sessions.