Bryant Council to meet for workshop on water and wastewater, March 11th

The Bryant City Council has scheduled a workshop on Thursday, March 11th, 2021 at 6:00 PM to discuss the recommended adjustments put forward by the Bryant Water/Wastewater Committee for water/wastewater rates. Scroll down to see the agenda.

This is an informational workshop only; Council will not make any decisions during this meeting instead, it is an opportunity for city council members to receive additional information surrounding the water/wastewater review, review updates on projects that fall within the Consent Administrative Order requirements the city is under from ADEQ, and hear from city staff regarding the impact prolonging this decision has had. Council can then bring those facts forward to further share with the citizens in their wards.

“The foresight and strategic planning that our previous city council implemented over a decade ago, paid off during the historic February snowstorms and severe weather temperatures we all experienced. Bryant managed to work through these unprecedented conditions with no disruption to service to our community. This was a direct result of the strategic planning that this outside review process has required for our water and wastewater utilities.” Mayor Allen Scott says. “We must continue to live up to our responsibility to our citizens in providing reliable water service. I am concerned that prolonging this decision any further could impact those services in the very near future.”

“In February, the Bryant city council approved taking $900,000.00 from the Depreciation Fund reserves to assist with the growing budget deficit that has occurred for the first quarter of this year,” states Joy Black, Director of Finance. “If an adjustment is not made within the next 30 days, we will need to bring even further budget adjustments back to council during the second quarter and it is placing us at a disadvantage with our Consent Administrative Order requirements with ADEQ. At this time, the current rates are not covering payroll or essential services without department modifications to planned work,” she concluded.

Residents can virtually attend the workshop through the city’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/BryantArkansas.

Bryant City Council Workshop

03/11/2021

Bryant Fire Station Training Room
312 Roya Lane

6:00 PM
Space is extremely limited. Residents can also watch
live via the city Youtube channel — https://www.youtube.com/c/BryantArkansas

AGENDA

INVOCATION
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
CALL TO ORDER
NEW BUSINESS
Water And Wastewater Adjustment Workshop

Contractors and Staff attending to present or to answer questions by council:

Joy Black – City Finance Director,
Ted Taylor- City Engineer
Tim Fournier- Superintendent- Public Works
Dan Jackson- Willdan Consulting

Craig Johnson- Crist Engineers

1. Introduction and Timeline Review:
Throughout this timeline process, the Bryant Water and Wastewater Committee researched and worked through these reviews during regular meetings prior to approving and moving them forward for city council review. This timeline does not reflect those meetings, only the city council portion.

August 2020 – First Water and Wastewater Rate Adjustment Review given to Council. Due to an error in the 2017 review council requested a second opinion of this years review to be conducted by a second contractor.
November 2020 – Second Water and Wastewater Rate Adjustment Review presented to the city council. Council Member Hawk requested to ask CAW to attend a council meeting to present the city options around them taking over the Bryant Water System. No decision was made by council on rate adjustments.
December 2020– The city council approved the Bryant 2021 City budget. The budget portion for the Bryant Water and Wastewater department was based on the new recommended adjustment pricing to the water and wastewater department billing.
January 2021– The Water and Wastewater Rate Adjustment was brought forward to the Bryant City Council again for approval. No decision was made, and a workshop requested. Councilmember Hawk placed a second request for us ask CAW to present to council. We agreed to contact CAW and to also seek other alternatives. These options will be brought forward once a decision is made on the existing rate study for council to review and research. These are long term possible solutions that can not realistically impact the current rate study recommendations and require strong public support to move forward with.
February 2021– The city’s current water rates are not covering payroll or essential service without departmental modifications to planned work. The city council approved moving $900,000.00 from the city’s depreciation fund in our savings reserves to help cover the budget deficit, but this still leaves us falling behind on our required repairs to the city wastewater system. If an adjustment is not approved, these repairs can not move forward without another budget adjustment or other city projects being de-funded to cover the cost.
March 11th– 2021– Budget Workshop with Bryant City Council for the city to provide all information council will need to make rate adjustment during the March council meeting at the request of the Finance Director and Public Works Department.

2. Consent Action Order History and Review — Craig Johnson , Crist Engineers

3. Water and Wastewater Presentation Review- Joy Black

4. Answer any questions by Council from the Panel

5. Conclude and Close

Frequently Asked Questions – Water Wastewater Rate Adjusments

Documents:

PUBLIC COMMENTS