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La Cygne adopts water rate change, moves to fund major distribution upgrades
Summary
City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1422 to fold an interim surcharge into base water rates and authorized engineering and grant applications to replace aging distribution lines and model the two water towers. Council and staff said grant awards will determine long-term customer costs.
The La Cygne City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1422 on May 7, 2014, transferring an interim surcharge into the base water rates for customers outside rural water districts as it advances planning for a multi-phase distribution upgrade.
The change, Mayor Terry Weitman said, helps the city present a stable rate structure while pursuing state and federal grants to replace undersized and failing water mains and to reconfigure flows to make full use of the north tower. "The city needs to move forward with modeling and grants to avoid repeated short-term fixes," said Devona Herrin, the city clerk and point person for the engineering work. The council also authorized BG Consultants to survey the two water towers to support hydraulic modeling (authorization not to exceed $2,250).
Why it matters: the council and consultants told the city that many sections of the distribution system are 1"–2" mains, prone to breaks and incapable of meeting fire flows or delivering adequate pressure to the north side of town. Engineers presented phased alternatives: immediate system enhancements to connect plant-to-north-tower and high-priority line replacements; larger system-wide replacements; and a longer-term option to replace a second tower. The council approved pursuing phase 1 (and phases 2–4 contingently) through combined grant/loan packages (CDBG, USDA, KDHE), and signed USDA application materials and CDBG application assurances in September and October.
Budget and next steps: the city clerk and BG Consultants told the council the project cost estimates run into the millions, and award decisions will shape how much loan funding — and thus rate impact — is required. The council scheduled additional workshops and authorized staff to sign required application documents. If grants are insufficient, the council may scale the work or phase it over multiple years; if awarded, construction is likely to start in 2015 or later depending on procurement and permitting.
Provenance: Council actions, ordinance adoption, and authorization to contract BG Consultants are recorded in the minutes (Ordinance No. 1422; BG Consultants authorization, SEG 212–236, SEG 340–358, SEG 416–424, SEG 502–512).
