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Garfield council accepts state assistance for water project, authorizes water-main notice and corrects wholesale billing
Summary
At its Jan. 13 meeting, the Garfield City Council accepted Arkansas Natural Resources Commission assistance for Project 25-038, adopted a water line replacement resolution, authorized a Notice to Proceed for a water-main replacement and approved a correction to a January wholesale water bill; discussion of regionalization was tabled pending legal review.
The Garfield City Council on Jan. 13 approved multiple actions to advance a municipal water main replacement and corrected a wholesale water billing error.
Mayor Gary Blackburn told the council the system recorded 16.7% unaccounted water loss for December 2025 and that the wholesale water rate rose to $3.80 per 1,000 gallons on Jan. 1, 2026. He reported the city’s loan with ARC has eight years remaining and a current balance of $138,572.00. After discussion with Donnie Chambers of Performance Services, Inc., the council accepted financial assistance from the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission for Project 25-038 and adopted Resolution 228 (Intent of 2026 Water Line Replacement). The council also authorized the mayor to sign the Notice to Proceed for the Water Main Replacement Project.
The council addressed a billing error tied to a December leak. Council Member Rambo moved, and Council Member Teeselink seconded, to allow the mayor and Recorder-Treasurer Christal Allen to amend the January 2026 wholesale water bill to reflect the correct wholesale charge of $1,012.08; the motion passed unanimously.
Council also reviewed a letter from the law firm Friday, Eldridge & Clark about proposed regionalization of water services. Mayor Blackburn said the city attorney and Performance Services will join a teleconference to confirm project details and costs for the reported $7.5 million project. Council Member Rambo moved to table discussion of the regionalization matter until the February 2026 meeting while that legal review and teleconference occur; the motion passed unanimously.
All motions on water items were made by Council Member Rambo and seconded by Council Member Teeselink; Council Member Kitterman participated by phone and voted in favor of the measures.
