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Athens council approves emergency increase to water-softening salt authorization
Summary
Council suspended rules and adopted Ordinance 63-26 to raise the authorized expenditure for annual water-softening salt to roughly $277,760 after low-bid pricing exceeded prior authorization; staff said immediate action was needed to avoid higher open-market costs.
City officials told council that the recently completed bid for annual water-softening salt produced a low-bid unit cost that would push the year’s expenditure to about $277,000, above the current authorization of roughly $217,000. Director Stone said he could not sign a contract at the new price without increasing the council authorization and that running out of salt would force purchases on the open market at much higher cost.
Council agreed to suspend the rules and adopt Ordinance 63-26 the same evening to raise the authorized amount and allow the administration to execute the contract. The auditor’s office urged an emergency clause to expedite the purchase so the water-plant supply would not be interrupted; staff said the appropriation would come from the water fund (plant 740.637, account 74637).
Director Stone walked council through the sequence of prior authorizations earlier this year: an initial $230,000 ordinance, a later reduction to $217,000, and the current low bid requiring the higher authorization. Council members voted to suspend and adopt the amendment to avoid short-term supply and cost risks.
