La Plata town manager reports settlement securing road access, infrastructure updates; council votes to enter closed session

La Plata — Town Manager Tuck Stevens told the La Plata Town Council on Dec. 16 that the town reached a fully executed settlement involving Magnolia, Alpaz and the town that secures a road dedication intended to provide critical emergency access to the Pine Grove area and removes the need for an upcoming trial.

Stevens said the settlement also requires the town to construct a comprehensive stormwater-management solution in the affected area. "All parties have agreed to the settlement terms, and the agreement has been fully executed," he told the council, adding that an engineering firm has been engaged and provided a quote for preliminary design work. Stevens said staff will place the agenda item summary for that work on the Jan. 13 meeting packet so council can review the design and next steps.

In other operational updates, Stevens said staff approved three stormwater contracts (on the consent agenda) as a first step in creating an on-call qualified-vendor list for future stormwater work. He reported about 350 of the town's roughly 4,500 AMI meter nodes are not reporting and that many require in-home access or simple battery replacement; Stevens emphasized lack of resident contact information complicates scheduling repairs. He also reported that town staff have repaired 21 fire hydrants and returned them to service while 18 remain out of service. Stevens said the Water Smart application is offline pending a failed server replacement expected to arrive the week of Dec. 22 with installation likely in January.

Stevens previewed administrative items for early 2026: a volunteer-boards-and-commissions training scheduled for Jan. 15, a Reserve Fund Policy and charter amendment language to be presented on Jan. 13, and an employee-handbook rewrite targeted for consideration in January or February (target date given as Jan. 27 with possible adjustments). He also said staff will begin a 2026 effort to capture phone and email contact information for roughly 4,500 utility accounts to improve emergency notifications and reduce mailing costs.

Council members praised staff work and progress during a short Q&A. Councilmember McCormick asked for the specific AMI-node figure; Stevens replied the number of nodes not reporting was "somewhere around 350 of the 4,500 accounts." Several council members thanked staff for their efforts closing out 2025.

Before adjourning, Councilman Bloomberg moved to enter closed session under Article 3, Title 305, Chapter 1 to discuss the town manager's performance appraisal and to consider appointment of a town attorney; the motion was seconded, a roll call was held, and all members voted in favor.

What happens next: staff will present settlement-related design and procurement materials on Jan. 13; additional administrative items (Reserve Fund Policy, charter language, employee handbook) are scheduled for council review in January and February. The council entered closed session to discuss personnel matters as described in the meeting disclosure.