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Sarpy wastewater agency reviews $10M cash balance, debate over CDs vs. WIFIA borrowing
Summary
The Sarpy County and Cities Wastewater Agency reviewed its Oct. 31 financial dashboard, reporting $10M in cash, $92M in loans and $2M in reserve; board members asked for monthly expense detail and whether excess checking funds should be placed in higher‑yield CDs rather than drawing on WIFIA.
The Sarpy County and Cities Wastewater Agency on Nov. 19 reviewed its monthly financial dashboard for the period ending Oct. 31, 2025, and questioned whether the agency should shift surplus checking balances into term investments or continue to rely on WIFIA loan proceeds.
"This is the wastewater agency's monthly financial dashboard report for the period ending 10/31/2025," Treasurer Mark Setout said, walking the board through revenues, expenses and cash balances. He reported connection fees of $1.9 million year‑to‑date and flow revenue of $271,000 (about 34% of budget), and said total cash on hand is just over $10 million, with $2 million moved into a five‑month certificate of deposit.
Setout told the board the agency has $92 million in loans, primarily two SRF loans totaling about $72 million that are closed, and a $20 million WIFIA loan that remains open and is being used for project costs.
Board members requested clearer monthly reporting. One board member asked for a simple column showing monthly expenses and whether the agency needs more than $7 million in checking, saying, "Do we need $7,000,000 in checking?" Setout agreed to provide a monthly‑expense column and to analyze whether some funds could be placed in higher‑yield short‑term investments without jeopardizing operations or reimbursement timing.
The board pressed on the logic of borrowing while holding cash. Members noted that some federal and state loans may carry interest rates lower than current investment returns; Setout said the agency must weigh timing uncertainty for connection‑fee revenue and potential reimbursement delays from WIFIA as reasons to retain liquidity.
Setout confirmed the board’s reserve posture: "We have $2,000,000 in reserve," he said, and indicated that reserve funds are included within the checking account balance rather than shown as a separate line item on the dashboard.
What’s next: Setout will return with a dashboard revision that includes monthly expense columns, a clearer breakdown of reserve versus available cash, and recommendations on short‑term investment options versus borrowing strategy ahead of the Dec. 10 meeting when the audit report will be presented.
