Water conversations will be a highlight of the Emporia City Commission meeting schedule Wednesday.
As part of the action session, the city is set to renew its water usage contract with the Kansas Water Office for using water from the Council Grove Reservoir. The current 40-year contract, finalized in October 1983, involves almost 3,400 acre feet of water, or the equivalent of almost 1.1 billion gallons of water, at a fixed cost of 10 cents per 1,000 gallons.
Staff have negotiated a contract for 7,000 acre feet of water per year — almost 2.3 billion gallons a year — through 2045. If approved by the city and the Water Office, the city will need to pay for half the annual allotment whether or not that amount is used, but it also reserves almost 62 percent of the reservoir’s water for use by the city of Emporia. The rate is set to be variable — 47.3 cents per 1,000 gallons for the rest of this calendar year, 49.3 cents per 1,000 gallons next year and adjustments for following years. Next year’s water will cost over $560,000.
City commissioners have other business to handle in their action session. Commissioners could approve updates to the city’s zoning regulations. They could also pass a nearly $10 million general obligation bond for rehabbing the East 12th Avenue water tower, replacing two lift stations, replacing a sewer main near the David Traylor Zoo and other subdivision improvements. There is also a memorandum of understanding with USD 253 Emporia to upgrade the school crossing signals across town.
The study meeting to follow will have an update on the water system after 30-plus water main breaks since Sept. 12. Conversations on the recently-passed Rec Commission request for a sales tax ballot question to fund a public recreation building, strategic planning for the transient guest tax and development of Urbanside Park are also planned.
The meeting slate starts with the action meeting at 11 am at the Municipal Court Room. The study meeting follows at City Conference Room 1AB.
