The Brown County Water Improvement District #1 unanimously approved their 2014/2015 fiscal year budget at their board meeting Tuesday, and set water rates for both treated and untreated water that they sell to local municipalities and retail water providers.
BCWID General Manager Dennis Spinks explained that the amount of treated water consumption will increase due to the City of Early and the Zephyr Water Supply Corporation coming online to the BCWID distribution system. With an increase in treated water sales, revenue will rise approximately 11.82%, resulting in the reduced rates of treated water, according to Spinks.
Treated water rates to these wholesale customers will decrease to $1.4556/1000 gallons, a decrease of 0.55% from last year’s rates while untreated water will increase approximately 16% over last year’s rates.The new fiscal year budget will see a 3% increase from last year, pushing it over $2.9 million and includes several new items not in a normal year’s budget, according to Spinks.
These additions include approximately $10,000 in administrative costs for GIS mapping by James and Martin of all BCWID lines (including those at docks), $3000 repair of the sidewalk in front of the office, $6000 for 3 large roll up doors on the BCWID shop (replacement doors), $12,000 for two actuators on the pump station below the dam and $20,000 for pump rebuilding (scheduled yearly on a couple of the district’s 20 pumps) and the purchase of a Lake Patrol pickup (with trade in), according to Spinks.
“This budget does include a 3% cost of living raise and $50,000 added to the water rate to reimburse for the cost of the well over a 20 year period,” said Spinks. This reimbursement was added last year as BCWID began the well project Spinks explained.
Spinks also stated that the current wholesale water customers, Brownwood, Bangs and Brookesmith, will soon be paid back a portion of debt service that was invested for capital improvement after Early and Zephyr come online to the water treatment system and buy into the debt service agreement. This payment according to Spinks will be divided proportionately to these customers.
Spinks explained that the usage of Early and Zephyr as wholesale customers is not known yet but has been estimated on each entity’s 5 years prior usage for the purpose of budget planning.
“Everything is based on a 5 year past usage average because you can’t predict future water use,” said Spinks. “This is not 100% accurate but has worked well in the past.”
In other matters on Tuesday’s agenda:
*The board approved the annual rental rate in the amount of $3487.50/year for Period 2 (a three year period) of the multiple year residential lease for lots 20 and 20A, Peninsula Subdivision.
*Spinks reported that the lake is currently at 1413.79 feet msl, 11.2 ft. below spillway level. Lake Brownwood currently has 68,115 acre feet of water, which is 51.79% capacity. Evaporation for June was 7.37 inches (2.37 more than May); the last 30 day period saw a loss of 0.62 feet in elevation, according to Spinks.
*The Lake Patrol dock is finished and installed with lifts and doors installed and signs completed. The only unfinished portion of the dock is an interior storage room, according to BCWID officials.
