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Carlisle council approves year-end supplemental appropriations and awards water‑main contract
Summary
Carlisle City Council on Nov. 26 approved a year‑end supplemental appropriation, adopted a 3% pay plan for 2025 and awarded a $396,418 contract for the Lower Carlisle Road water‑main extension using American Rescue Plan Act funds; the contract award and emergency actions were approved to encumber funds before year‑end.
Carlisle City Council voted Nov. 26 to adopt year‑end budget changes, approve a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment for municipal employees and award a low bid for a water‑main extension intended to improve water pressure in the north part of town.
City Manager Chris Lohr told council the supplemental appropriation (Ordinance 32‑24, Amendment No. 7) is the final adjustment for 2024 to align spending with the certificate of estimated resources and asked that it be adopted as an emergency so the administration can close out the fiscal year. Council voted to suspend the three‑reading rule and then adopted the ordinance; roll call votes were recorded in favor by all members present.
Lohr also recommended council approve Resolution 33‑24 to award the Lower Carlisle Road Water Main Extension Project. He said engineers had estimated the project at a little over $1.9 million but the low construction bid came in far below that estimate at $396,418 from Double Jay Construction. Lohr said most of the work will be covered by American Rescue Plan Act funds, with $75,000 in Community Development Block Grant money included, and that a signed contract is needed before year‑end to encumber those federal dollars.
"The projections the engineers put together show that this extension is going to help with some of the water pressure problems that we have on the north end of town," Lohr said. Council moved to suspend readings and approve the resolution as an emergency; the award and contract authorization passed by roll call vote.
Council briefly discussed contractor qualifications and schedule. Lohr said the city’s engineering firm (Ms. Ingle’s team) reviews bonds and references before recommending award. He said the post‑award meeting will establish the contractor’s start and completion timeline and that staff does not currently anticipate significant, system‑wide water outages during construction; any local service interruptions would be isolated and customers notified.
Councilmember Jason Faulkner noted the extension is not a substitute for a water tower and said a tower remains a likely future project. "We are going to do this, and we hope it helps with water pressure issues, but we still think a water tower is in our future," Faulkner said.
On compensation, council adopted Ordinance 28‑24, the city pay plan for 2025, which includes a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment for employees. The ordinance passed on second/third reading by unanimous roll call.
The contract award and the supplemental appropriation were approved as emergency measures so the administration can encumber ARPA funds before the end of the calendar year. Lohr also told council mediation with the Fraternal Order of Police produced a tentative agreement; attorneys will finalize contract language and staff expects to present the agreement for a council vote at the Dec. 10 meeting.
Council approved cancelling the Dec. 24 meeting by a recorded vote (one dissent). The Dec. 10 meeting remains scheduled and is expected to include final action on the FOP agreement if the contract language is complete.
Votes at a glance: Ordinance 32‑24 (Supplemental Appropriation #7) — adopted (emergency); Resolution 33‑24 (Lower Carlisle Water Main Extension) — adopted (emergency); Ordinance 28‑24 (2025 pay plan, 3% COLA) — adopted.
