Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Contracts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Utility approves master agreement to recover roughly $7 million in Google-related work
Summary
The West Utility Commission approved a contribution and construction master agreement to secure 100% cost recovery from Google for infrastructure work serving its site, enabling reimbursement of about $7 million already spent and setting 45‑day payment and true‑up rules for task orders.
The West Utility Commission voted to approve a contribution and native construction master agreement intended to make Google fully responsible for the cost of infrastructure the utility is installing to serve the company’s facility.
Staff told commissioners the agreement creates a master framework and separate signed task-order appendices for each discrete project (for example, a force main, upgraded pumps or a lift station). Under the terms described in the meeting, Google would be 100% financially responsible for any upgrades or customer-specific infrastructure and would pay actual costs after a true-up; staff said task-order payments are due no later than 45 days after the utility notifies the company that work is complete.
Commissioners were told the utility has about $7 million in work to date that is unreimbursed — including distribution and service lines, a construction-site lift station and procurement of treatment-plant pumps — and that signing the master agreement is required before staff can submit the appendices to request reimbursement.
Staff said the agreement was negotiated with Google’s counsel and that the utility’s attorney drafted the master document. The commission moved to approve the agreement and the motion passed without a recorded roll-call tally.
The utility will proceed with procurement under signed task orders and will provide documentation of costs for the true-up process. Staff said the master agreement is intended to prevent general ratepayers from subsidizing infrastructure required for a single commercial customer.
