Chandler City Manager Jason Orr said that the city is not running out of water and that the decision to increase water production capacity by 100 percent was a financial decision.
Orr gave an update on the status of the current water engineering study at the Chandler Municipal Authority Meeting on Jan. 14 to address rumors he said had been going around about the project to expand the water treatment plant. “We were bumping up against that top threshold of our water production capacity. And so we made the decision to upgrade the plant. We had two options that were put in front of us—one was a 50 percent expansion. The other one was 100 percent expansion,” he said. “And the only reason why we made the decision to double capacity was just a financial decision. There was no behind-the-scenes stuff going on or any of that stuff like some people were claiming.” The 50-percent expansion would have cost the City about $8 million, and eventually, another 50-percent expansion would have been required down the line. Orr explained that it made more sense to spend $12 million now, rather than $8 million now and another $8 million later on.
He added that SRB is working on getting the permit right now and that the plant expansion should be done at the end of this year. About five to 10 years from now, Orr said the City is looking at doing studies to explore other water resources.
“We’re doing a yield study for the lake—lakes plural—and also a hydrogeological study to look at other groundwater options and other options moving forward,” he said. “So that’s where we’re at because… there’s a lot going on around Lincoln County. We are in a unique opportunity and position because we provide water to a lot of the county.”
The municipal authority then approved an amendment to the Rural Water District 3 Water Sale Agreement for the Iowa Tribe Casino Project. The amendment increased the maximum to six million gallons per month from three million, which is within the current capacity. Orr said their current average is about 1.5 gallons per month.
“It’s gonna give them a little bit of room to grow and also provide for the Iowa Tribe project,” Orr said, referencing the new casino that is currently under construction and the tribe’s future plans to build a hotel and event center.
In the City Council meeting that took place directly after the municipal authority meeting, the Council went into executive session to discuss an investigation and possible legal action regarding Chandler CH, LLC. The company currently has ownership of the property where a hotel was meant to be built behind Randy Bowen Chevrolet. When they returned, the Council voted to authorize Love Law Firm to commence with legal action against Chandler CH, LLC and TJ Remy.
Other actions included approving the installation of two more speed limit signs and a second bus loading sign on Rozell Lane. The Council also approved an amendment to the City of Chandler Fee Schedule, which would allow the Chandler Fire Department to maximize their billing for private insurance companies and be in compliance with House Bill 2072, which went into effect on Jan. 1. It affects 22 percent of patients, according to Chandler Fire Chief Bobby Buchanan.
The fee change increases the prices of Advanced Life Support (ALS) calls and Basic Life Support (BLS) calls inside city limits.
The City Council also approved a technical order agreement with Halff and Associates for McClanahan Park and an election notice for mayor, Ward I and Ward III council members. The election will be held on Tuesday, April 1, and the filing period will run from Feb. 3 at 8 a.m. to Feb. 5 at 5 p.m.
The council members are elected to a four-year term, while the mayor is a twoyear term.