County adopts fiscal sustainability plan for Sewer District No. 1

The Osage County Commission on voice vote approved a fiscal sustainability plan for the Wastewater Collection and Treatment System of Osage County Sewer District No. 1 as presented.

County staff introduced a standard annual update and noted the district is still completing phase three of its infrastructure work. Ben Kramer, the district contact on the phone, told commissioners the form on file lists an estimated annual operating cost of about $27,500 but that that amount "is not to cover this debt service," and said KDHE reimbursements and recent equipment replacements had influenced the figures.

Commissioners discussed recent high-cost infrastructure years (2025–26), how those years affected ad valorem collections, and the need to avoid setting an unnecessarily high mill levy for 2027. Josh Nye and other staff said they would assemble updated account balances and recent replacement-cost estimates so the county and district can present accurate budget authority numbers ahead of the revenue-neutral hearing scheduled for Sept. 8.

Chair moved to adopt the plan "as presented" and the motion carried after a second. The commission recorded that the plan would be filed to keep the county in compliance with KAT requirements; staff will submit an updated version when final numbers are available.

Next steps: staff and district representatives will prepare a revised appendix showing updated cost estimates and debt-service projections for the county’s August publication and the September revenue-neutral hearing.