Greenbelt Water Authority’s planned $18 million project to develop groundwater resources for its member cities hit a snag last Thursday when it came before the Clarendon City Council.
City aldermen were asked to approve a supplemental contract with Greenbelt but instead took no action after meeting behind closed doors with attorneys for more than 40 minutes before discussing issues with water authority representatives and saying the contract was unacceptable to the city.
Attorneys for Greenbelt this week were working on language revisions to address city concerns, according to Greenbelt General Manager Bobbie Kidd, and were confident an agreement could still be reached before a July deadline to issue bonds.
“I think it’s going to work out,” Kidd said Tuesday.
At the meeting last week, Alderman Eulaine McIntosh spoke of her concerns about diminishing water availability over a widespread area, and she, along with Aldermen Tommy Hill and John Lockhart, also voiced thoughts about the fairness of the proposed 30-year contract.
The Texas Water Development Board in April approved more than $18 million for a new water supply project for the Greenbelt Municipal and Industrial Water Authority. The project would develop 2,800 acres of groundwater rights the water authority acquired in northern Donley County in 2017. Greenbelt would construct three water wells, well field piping, electrical distribution equipment, and a 12-mile transmission line to transport water to its existing water treatment plant. (Click here to read more about the project.)
Ten million dollars of the project is fully funded by the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and $8.11 million would be financed with Clarendon paying about six percent of that cost.
Alderman Larry Jeffers raised questions about the cost of the project over the 30-year term. Kidd said the city will end up paying less for water because the current Greenbelt bonds will be paid off in 2027.
Some aldermen expressed interest in making changes to the original Greenbelt contract, which was signed in the 1960s and reworked in 1975. Under the contract, the member cities of Clarendon, Hedley, Childress, Quanah, and Crowell and other customers of the water authority pay Greenbelt based on how much water they use. Clarendon’s portion of Greenbelt’s budget is about eight percent.
Kidd told the city council that right now Greenbelt has about three years of water in it. That’s not the life-expectancy of the lake, but rather how long the water would last if no more water was accumulated.
“This project is to make sure we don’t run out of water,” Kidd said. “We’ll never get another $10 million gift to do this. Without this project, I don’t know where you get water.”
It was mentioned during the discussion that the city has contracted with OJD Engineering to study groundwater resources in the city limits and the possibility of developing those resources.
In April, the council approved hiring attorney Marvin Jones to review the city’s obligations to Greenbelt.
At last week’s meeting, Kidd said Greenbelt had been working for 12 years on this project. He also said Clarendon could not develop its own water system without being in the state water plan and said the next state water plan won’t be approved until about 2028.
Alderman Jeffers objected to that comment, calling it a threat and saying he was done with the conversation.
“I didn’t threaten you,” Kidd said. “I’m just telling you reality.”
Clarendon is represented on the Greenbelt board of directors by Walt Knorpp.
Kidd said Tuesday that Knorpp doesn’t always make every meeting but that he had been at every meeting where an important vote had been held on this project and had supported it.
Greenbelt’s board must meet July 20 to give final approval to the project after bond ratings are set. Clarendon’s next regular city council meeting will be July 13.
Greenbelt representatives were planning meetings with other member city’s councils this week, and Kidd was optimistic the plan would ultimately move forward.
Read More: https://www.clarendonlive.com/2023/04/state-okays-18-million-for-greenbelt-project/
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