Lawrenceburg utility board approves Hazen & Sawyer asset-management plan and $161,080 rate study task order

The Lawrenceburg Utility Board approved a master service agreement task order with Hazen & Sawyer on March 16, authorizing an initial asset management plan (AMP) and dynamic rate-study model with a not-to-exceed initial task order of $161,080.

Mister Snyder, introduced on the agenda as the Hazen and Sawyer presenter, told board members the two-part proposal would start with a gap analysis and provide parameters for future rate recommendations. “The not-to-exceed amount for the asset management plan and rate study is $161,080,” he said.

Councilmember Dylan Little and other board members pressed staff on what Hazen would deliver and how the work would be integrated into Lawrenceburg’s systems. Dylan Little asked whether the vendor’s GIS support would help local staff, saying, “I did see that it has GIS support. Are they going to be able to help support Jamie with GIS as well?” Mister Snyder replied that Hazen’s initial effort is a gap analysis and that they would make recommendations for naming conventions and formatting, working with city staff rather than performing bulk manual input.

Board members repeatedly raised implementation questions: how the AMP would feed into the city’s chosen financial and asset systems (the presenters referred to Power BI workflows and NISC for accounting), how long validation and input would take, and whether additional funding would be needed to convert the plan into usable entries in the city’s software. One councilmember said, “I just don’t think that we’re all educated enough up here to kind of figure this stuff out,” and warned that the project could require more staff time or outside help to get data into the city’s system.

Staff and other board members emphasized the urgency given the sewer fund’s financial position and the city’s lack of a formal AMP. A staff member said the AMP is a necessary foundation for future rate-making and for eligibility for some state funding programs, and that Hazen would train city staff so the city could maintain the system internally after implementation.

After discussion, the board voted to approve the Hazen & Sawyer MSA and the initial AMP/rate-study task order. The board and staff said they would arrange follow-up meetings with Hazen so utility staff (including the utility director and accounting staff) could review integration details and GIS work before the April kickoff.

What’s next: Staff said an in-person meeting with the Hazen team is being scheduled for early April to answer technical questions from utility staff; the rate-study schedule targets a September delivery.