The City Council authorized a professional engineering services agreement with Garver to design Phase 1 of the Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) rehabilitation project, staff said, with a not-to-exceed fee of $394,962 funded from the FY25 utility capital improvements budget.

Eric Cross, director of Public Works and Utilities, introduced Micah Stutz as the city's new Utility Engineering Services Manager. Stutz told council the WRF currently treats 2,500,000 gallons per day and that preliminary engineering determined the laboratory building (constructed in 1982) has reached the end of its service life and should be replaced rather than rehabilitated.

"Staff have identified Garver as the most qualified firm for this work," Stutz said. The recommended Phase 1 scope focuses on replacing the laboratory building with a new approximately 1,800-square-foot facility (the current building is about 1,000 square feet). Stutz said the replacement is intended to improve operator safety and plant reliability; additional phases to follow will be scoped in the current fiscal year.

Council members asked whether the rehabilitation increases plant capacity. Cross clarified the rehabilitation project does not by itself expand wastewater treatment capacity; the city's permit contains a rider that would allow increasing permitted capacity from 2.5 to 5 million gallons per day, but capacity increases would be addressed in a future phase or through an integrated alternative water study. Cross described existing and planned uses for reclaimed water, which currently irrigates city sports parks and public works activities; staff said planned expansion will add Lakeline Park.

Council moved and seconded the engineering authorization; the motion passed unanimously. Staff will proceed to execute the design agreement and return with construction-phase support and future phase scoping during the FY25 budget year.