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Council urged to address $13M drinking-water backlog as fees and charter limits complicate options
Summary
Staff said the water master plan identified nearly $13,000,000 in high-priority projects over five years, with about $8,000,000 currently budgeted; councilors discussed fee or bond strategies but noted a charter 5% limit on fee increases constrains near-term options.
Water utility staff told council they had completed a water master plan that identified roughly $13,000,000 in projects over the next five years. As one engineer put it: "we just completed our water master plan this last year, and they identified over the 5 years almost 13,000,000 in projects." Staff noted approximately $8,000,000 of projects are included in the current five-year capital plan, leaving an approximate $5,000,000 gap that would require additional funding.
Councilors discussed mechanisms to close the gap — utility fees or a revenue/geobond — and flagged a charter limitation that caps annual fee increases (a 5% cap) as a legal constraint. Several councilors supported pursuing a charter amendment or phased approaches, noting that delaying projects increases the chance of expensive emergency repairs. Staff said readiness is relatively high because projects are defined in the capital plan, but funding and timing remain the main barriers.
Council direction: continue work on rate studies, consider whether a charter amendment to the 5% cap is feasible, and prioritize projects by urgency while exploring phased funding.
