Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Irrigation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
EDC approves $55,000 budget amendment after irrigation billing spike
Summary
The board approved a $55,000 budget amendment to cover unexpectedly high irrigation bills tied to programming errors and increased rates; staff will add a near–full‑time irrigation maintenance role and test a reduced watering schedule.
The Stafford Economic Development Corporation authorized a $55,000 amendment to cover a shortfall in irrigation funding after staff found programming and rate issues that drove water bills higher than expected.
Chris Riggs, the city's director of public works, told the board that sections of the irrigation system had been programmed to run seven days a week for extended intervals and that a rate increase and changes in plantings (from drip to spray heads) increased consumption. "Some of them are set to go 7 days a week for an hour and 0.5 at a time," Riggs said, identifying a programming problem that staff has since reset to a tentative once‑a‑week schedule while monitoring results.
Riggs said current bills had been paid but the irrigation account balance was low and staff recommended a $55,000 amendment to cover the rest of the budget year. He also described adding nearly full‑time maintenance oversight for irrigation to detect leaks and prevent future spikes. The board moved to amend the budget and to approve any outstanding irrigation payments; the president announced the motion carried.
