When the Watonga City Council met in regular session Tuesday evening, it began by holding a public hearing on its draft budget proposal. Although it was an opportunity for citizens to inquire into the numbers associated with running the city government, no one appeared with questions, suggestions or comments.
Once the hearing was closed, the council moved on to accept the proposal and submit it to the state as required by statute. That budget proposal includes anticipated income from the recently enacted utility cost increases. (See associated story, Page 1) The monthly budget numbers were then presented by Dacia Phillips, representing RS Meacham, the city’s accounting firm. Those numbers were largely on target for the year-to-date, with some variances. For instance, the electric income is lagging slightly. With 83% of the fiscal year in the books, the income from electricity sales is at 72%. However, Phillips explained that as normal, with some of the hottest months still to come. Hotter temperatures are met with increased electricity sales because residents are running their air conditioners more.
In its enterprise funds, the city showed a year-todate income of $681,486 excluding capital expenditures. Capital outlay was shown at $1,624,659, the amount of money the city has spent on tangible projects beyond any grant money it may have applied to the projects.
Council also heard an update from Cole Niblett of Garver Engineers. Garver is the company the city has employed to oversee its upcoming wastewater treatment and drinking water treatment projects.
Mayor Bill Seitter explained that the projects weren’t something the city was doing just because it wanted to, but because the Department of Environmental Quality had forced their hand.
Niblett explained that DEQ has approved the engineering for both projects and further approval had been made on the nitrate removal project for drinking water. The wastewater project was under review but is expected to move to the next step quickly.
Bids on the project will close June 11 and there has already been some interest in them from contractors, allaying the fears the city had earlier in the year that bids would come in well over budget.
Those fears were based on bids for other municipalities that had opened bids only to discover them more than twice what was anticipated.
However, the market has stabilized since then. “We are feeling cautiously optimistic on the bidders,” Niblett said.
The method DEQ had used to force the city into changing its method for providing drinking water is a consent order. That put the city on notice it had to lower the nitrate levels in the water or face stiff penalties and fines.
Niblett addressed the consent order timeline when he spoke to council. He said the project could meet the deadlines set in place by DEQ, and if there were construction delays, Garver would intercede for the city and show it had made good faith efforts and was making significant progress toward completion. The drinking water treatment project is expected to be completed in May of 2025, provided the bids are let by the first of July this year.