City of Abilene Weekly Water Report

June 10, 2013 - On April 22, 2013, the City of Abilene declared a “Water Emergency” pursuant to Section 7-1003 of the City Code (Resolution 042213-5). As a result of this declaration, the City has implemented Level 1 of its Water Emergency Implementation Plan to include the following actions: 

• Emergency water rates have been implemented. Residential water rates will double for all consumption above 15,000 gallons. Commercial rates will remain $0.325 per 100 gallons for all consumption. Increased emergency rates also apply to water customers residing outside the city limits.
• New service connections fees have been doubled.
• The following uses of water have been suspended: bulk water sales, fire hydrant flushing, washing of the City fleet, rinse-out and inspection of water towers, and new tree plantings by the City.
• The waste of water is strongly discouraged.
• In an on-going effort to keep the general public informed of the water situation, the City of Abilene has prepared the following weekly update concerning the City’s public water supply and related information.

Precipitation (in.) Temperature Range (F) Sand Springs Well Depth (avg ft) River Alluvium Well Depth (avg ft) Smoky Hill River Flow (cfs) Range of Water Treated (MGD) Average Water Treated (MGD)

Week of June 2 1.25 47-93 10.2 19.5 826 0.89-1.01 0.93

Week of June 9 trace 55-103 9.81 18.9 274 0.93-1.1 1.03

Last week had normal temperatures for the season with minimal precipitation. River flows have slowed considerably and groundwater levels have decreased since last week and remain low. Demand for water has also increased approximately 100,000 gallons per day. The Water Treatment Plant has started to produce over 1.0 million gallons of water per day and is anticipated to do so until Autumn unless conditions change. 

The City of Abilene strongly encourages water customers to conserve water, especially non-essential watering, such as for lawns and gardens, and other outdoor uses. The City recommends that private domestic well users follow the same practices as the public water uses. 

The daytime high temperatures are expected to be between 89 and 96 degrees this week. The best chance for precipitation this week is Wednesday (40%). The remainder of the week is forecasted with a low to no chance of precipitation. Overall conditions continue to warrant the “Water Emergency” remain in effect; such declaration will remain in effect until further notice.

More information about the water situation may be found online at: www.abilenecityhall.com/water.

D-Day and Eisenhower

On June 6, 2013, the world commemorated the 69th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. On that day, 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which “we will accept nothing less than full victory.”

More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end on June 6, the Allies gained a foothold in Normandy. The D-Day cost was high - more than 9,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded - but more than 100,000 soldiers began the march across Europe to defeat Hitler.

As the boyhood home and final resting place of General Eisenhower, the City of Abilene has a special connection to the D-Day invasion. As the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces during World War II, Dwight D. Eisenhower changed the course of history by launching the D‑Day invasion of France.

The victory of World War II helped ensure freedom's survival amid a very dark period in world history. There is no doubt that history, and our world today, would have been different if the Allied Forces had not claimed decisive victory.

General Eisenhower knew the importance of the operation and dreaded the imminent loss of those who would most assuredly fall in harms way. Prior to the historic invasion, Eisenhower sought to inspire those entering the theater of war with the following words:

"Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened, he will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man to man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our home fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory!

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!

Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking."

Learn more about the historic D-Day invasion, and a local boy's contribution to its success, from an online experience created by the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial.

June 18, 2013 Study Session Agenda

The following items are scheduled for discussion at the City Commission's June 18, 2013 Study Session:

• 2014 Budget for Taxing Funds - The City Manager will overview the proposed 2014 budgets for each of the following tax levied funds: General, Airport, Library, Debt Service, Fire Apparatus, and Capital Improvement. The City Manager is proposing an increase of $200,544, or about 3.92 mills, in new revenue for the 2014 budget to fund the following items: debt service obligations for the Highlands and Cedar Ridge Estates developments, a 1.75% cost-of-living adjustment to the Pay Plan, an increase to maintain current funding levels for employee health insurance, and to purchase three police patrol cars. Note: A study session will be held at 7:00 am on June 25, 2013 to discuss the proposed 2014 budgets for the following enterprise funds: Water, Sewer, Stormwater, and Recycling.

• Water Conservation Plan - Staff has prepared amendments to the City’s Water Conservation Plan to incorporate the recently enacted Water Emergency Implement Plan guidelines and to generally update the document. Staff will also provide a status report on the City’s well depths.

• Animal-Drawn Vehicles - Staff has prepared amendments to the Chapter 3, Article 17 of the City Code concerning operation of animal-drawn vehicles within the city limits. 

• Concealed Carry and Municipal Buildings - With the adoption of HB 2052, the City should discuss the application of concealed carry legislation within municipal buildings. The City has three options to consider when implementing this legislation: 1) remove no-carry signs and allow concealed carry in municipal buildings; 2) provide metal detectors or wands and personnel at each public entrance; or 3) assess buildings and establish a security plan for the buildings. The City may receive a four-year exemption from the legislation if it prepares a security plan and adopts a resolution exempting buildings from the legislation. The legislation is effective as of July 1, 2013 unless the City temporarily exempts itself.

Study sessions provide an opportunity for informal review and discussion by the City Commission on matters concerning the City. Study sessions are open to the public and are typically held at 7:00 am on the Tuesday the week prior to regular meetings of the City Commission. Full agenda packets for study sessions are available for download on the City's website by the close of business on the Friday before the scheduled study session. Study sessions are held in the City Manager's Conference Room at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Municipal Building located at 419 N. Broadway Street in Abilene, Kansas.

Outside Watering Prohibited

The City of Abilene wishes to remind residents that pursuant to Section 7-903 of the City Code, the outside watering of lawns, plants and shrubs is prohibited between the hours of 12:00 pm and 7:00 pm every day from May 1 through September 30. This is a permanent regulation that was adopted by the City Commission in May 2012 with the adoption of Ordinance No. 3197. 

The regulation does not apply to private well owners, although the City encourages private well owners to refrain from watering during the prohibited times.

Watering during these hours reduces the effectiveness of watering because of evaporation. Wind is also more prevalent during the afternoon or early evening hours, which has the potential of spreading water where it is least effective. For more information on the City's water situation, including lawn care, please visit www.abilenecityhall.com/water.

Residents may report illegal outside watering to the Abilene Police Department at (785) 263-1213, or if after hours, to Dickinson County Dispatch at (785) 263-4041. 

PLEASE DO NOT CALL 911 TO REPORT POSSIBLE WATER VIOLATIONS.

The City of Abilene appreciates everyone's cooperation concerning this matter.

June 10, 2013 City Commission Meeting

At its June 10, 2013 meeting, the City Commission took the following actions:

• Approved the June 10, 2013 City Commission regular meeting agenda;
• Approved the May 28, 2013 meeting minutes;
• Approved Resolution No. 081013-1 authorizing preparation and submittal of an FAA grant application by Olsson Associates for the Abilene Municipal Airport Runway Project as recommended by the Airport Advisory Committee;
• Appointed Larry Coulson to the Economic Development Council filing an unexpired term ending in 2014;
• Approved Ordinance No. 3230 amending Section 7-501 of the City Code of the City of Abilene, Kansas, concerning the rate basis for calculating sewer charges;
• Approved Resolution No. 061013-2 determining the advisability of and authorizing the making of certain improvements in the City of Abilene, Kansas, and the creation of an improvement district according to the findings of the governing body for the Dawson's Cottage Addition;
• Approved Resolution No. 061013-3 approving a Development Agreement between Scott and Maureen Dawson and the City of Abilene, Kansas, concerning the Dawson's Cottage Addition; and
• Approved Ordinance No. 3231 approving the rezoning of land from "B-3, Highway Business District" to "R-1, Single Family Residential District"; amending the current District Zoning Map; all to the Code of Ordinances of the City of Abilene, Kansas.

According to a preliminary study conducted by Olsson Associates, the runway at the Abilene Municipal Airport is due for a renovation. The good news is that the runway does not require a full-depth rehabilitation similar to what was recently done on E. First Street. Instead, Olsson Associates and the Airport Advisory Committee recommended a mill and concrete overlay project to extend the life of the runway. The project would be cost-shared with the Federal Aviation Administration; only 10% of the total project cost will be local dollars. The project, also known as "whitetopping," is estimated to cost $2,339,730, with the City contributing $233,973. The local portion of the project cost will be funded from the Airport Fund. Most of the revenue for this fund is generated from property taxes levied to fund airport operations and projects. 

The ordinance amending the rate basis for calculating sewer charges will clarify a billing error that has been in place since 2006. At that time, an ordinance was adopted creating two separate classes for calculating sewer rates. Residential rates were to be calculated using the winter water average, or an average of the water used during the months of December, January, and February. Non-residential accounts were to be billed based on the actual water usage each month. As discussed previously on this blog, the winter water average is used as a better representation of water that is actually discharged into the sanitary sewer system instead of water that is discharged onto a lawn or garden, or that is otherwise not discharged into the sanitary sewer system. As such, the discrepancy would have costed Abilene businesses considerably if it would have, in fact, been implemented. The City had been calculating the rate basis for all accounts using the winter water average. The ordinance will clarify the rate basis for calculating sewer charges; all accounts will continue to be billed using the winter water average. Account holders may request that the City bill using actual water if the business believes that such change would be beneficial to their operation. Additionally, businesses may also install a secondary meter to account for water that is not discharged into the sewer system (i.e., a sprinkler system). This will allow the City to bill water used for outside watering without unnecessarily charging sewer fees.

The final three items on the agenda were related to the proposed Dawson's Cottage Addition. The City Commission had previously considered the proposed subdivision, but it failed due to a lack of a second on the initial motion. After discussing the matter with Scott and Maureen Dawson, City staff recommended a change to the financial security requirements that would allow the Dawson's to move forward with some flexibility while also providing the City with financial security to protect the taxpayer in the event of a default on special assessments that would be certified to finance public infrastructure improvements related to the subdivision. The Dawson's will be required to put up a financial security equal to 35% of the verifiable estimate cost of the improvements. The security, either in the form of cash or escrow, will be available to the City in the event that special assessments are not remitted in a timely manner. As the Dawson's receive Certificates of Occupancy or sell lots to other owners, the City will release 5% of the financial security to the Dawson's. As the development performs, the risk of default begins to become less as the pool of property owners diversifies the risk. The Dawson's track record also suggests a lower probability of default than perhaps other subdivisions within the community.

The next City Commission Study Session is scheduled for 7:00 am on June 18th. The study session will be held at City Hall.

City of Abilene Weekly Water Report

June 10, 2013 - On April 22, 2013, the City of Abilene declared a “Water Emergency” pursuant to Section 7-1003 of the City Code (Resolution 042213-5). As a result of this declaration, the City has implemented Level 1 of its Water Emergency Implementation Plan to include the following actions: 

• Emergency water rates have been implemented. Residential water rates will double for all consumption above 15,000 gallons. Commercial rates will remain $0.325 per 100 gallons for all consumption. Increased emergency rates also apply to water customers residing outside the city limits.
• New service connections fees have been doubled.
• The following uses of water have been suspended: bulk water sales, fire hydrant flushing, washing of the City fleet, rinse-out and inspection of water towers, and new tree plantings by the City.
• The waste of water is strongly discouraged.
• In an on-going effort to keep the general public informed of the water situation, the City of Abilene has prepared the following weekly update concerning the City’s public water supply and related information.

Precipitation (in.) Temperature Range (F) Sand Springs Well Depth (avg ft) River Alluvium Well Depth (avg ft) Smoky Hill River Flow (cfs) Range of Water Treated (MGD) Average Water Treated (MGD)

Week of May 26 2.25 54-94 10.6 19.4 1,490 0.85-1.05 0.94

Week of June 2 1.25 47-93 10.2 19.5 826 0.89-1.01 0.93

Last week had below-normal to normal temperatures for the season and several days with measurable precipitation. River flows and groundwater levels remain low, but have been improving over the last few weeks. Supply remains adequate to meet the City’s needs primarily because of lower water demands. Recently, the City has been producing about 0.9 MGD compared to the 3.0 MGD at this same time last year.

The City of Abilene continues to encourage water customers to practice water conservation, especially regarding non-essential watering, such as for lawns and gardens, and other outdoor uses. The City recommends that private domestic well users follow the same practices as the public water uses. 

The daytime high temperatures are expected to be between 93 and 100 degrees this week. The next five days are forecasted with a low to no (less than 40%) chance of precipitation. Overall conditions continue to warrant the “Water Emergency” remain in effect; such declaration will remain in effect until further notice.

More information about the water situation may be found online at: www.abilenecityhall.com/water.

City of Abilene Reports March Sales Tax Figures

The City of Abilene received $146,978 in sales tax receipts during the month of March, which represents $134,248 in sales tax and $12,730 in compensating use tax. Of this amount, $106,975 (73%) was collected from the general sales tax and $40,003 (27%) was collected from the 0.35% dedicated to Library/Pool Improvements. Last month, the City of Abilene received $123,521 in sales tax.

Year-to-date the City has received $686,707 in sales tax receipts compared to $688,656 year-to-date in the previous year, representing a slight decrease (-0.28%) in year-to-date sales tax collections. The City’s sales tax trend has been very consistent with last year’s receipts. Sales tax receipts continue to be relatively flat, which is partially indicative of the local economy’s current growth pattern. 

The City’s sales tax collections remain below the amount of sales tax budgeted for 2013, although the anticipated shortfall is closing as it approaches the amount budgeted. The City budgeted $1.63 million in total sales tax receipts and is currently projected to collect $1.62 million throughout the year, making the sales tax deficit currently projected at $13,040.

Sales tax is used by the City to fund general government operations and to pay debt service on its G.O. Bonds, Series 2008 issued to finance library/pool improvements.

The City will have funds available in its cash reserve in the event sales tax collections come in less than budgeted. The City of Abilene maintains a cash reserve in the General Fund of $1.0 million and is currently projected to end the year with a balance of about $1.285 million. The General Fund reserve was established to address the following circumstances: revenue shortfalls, expenditure overruns, or emergency situations.

The City of Abilene's current sales tax rate is 8.4%, which includes a dedicated 0.35% for Library/Pool Improvements and a dedicated 0.25% for a ten-year Local Street Improvement Program. The recent sales tax figures do not include collections for the recently enacted 0.25% sales tax that became effective on April 1, 2013; this figures will start to be reported in July. The Local Street Improvement Program will be implemented as pay-as-you-go, and will not require the issuance of municipal debt. 

Additionally, the State of Kansas recently approved its budget with a slight reduction in the state sales tax rate from 6.3% to 6.15%. The change to the state sales tax rate will be effective July 1, 2013, making the City’s total sales tax rate at that time 8.25%. Retail businesses that collect sales tax are advised to adjust their sales tax rates as of July 1, 2013 to ensure that the correct amount is remitted to the Kansas Department of Revenue.

Questions may be directed to either Finance Director Eddie Balluch or City Manager David Dillner at (785) 263-2550.