The board of directors for Riverbend Water Resources District will meet at noon today in New Boston to discuss and possibly take action on a resolution for their member entities' True-Up usage in fiscal year 2015-16. Those numbers will be included the 2016-17 budget, which is also expected to be approved during the meeting.
A True-Up evaluates the water consumption and infrastructure costs each incurred throughout the year, and only includes entities included in the original bond issue which created Wright Patman Lake in 1953. Those numbers are used to determine water rates for fiscal year 2016-17.
The water rate is $.7986 per 1,000 gallons. It is projected to rise to $.8109, and does not include Nash, Redwater, Leary or Atlanta, whose water rates are based on a wholesale contract with the city of Texarkana.
Also included in the upcoming general fund budget is an increase of approximately 1.5 percent for cost-of-living increases to Riverbend's employees.
The board will also hold a strategic planning session at 1 p.m. today to update its 2013 Strategic Plan. Executive Director Liz Fazio-Hale, who was hired to lead Riverbend just over a year ago, said it was time for an update.
"After now being here for a year, I think it's a good idea to go ahead," she said. "It's also a really good time, as we are just finishing budgets and it's a great time to look forward in our planning. As part of recently acquiring the wet utilities (at TexAmericas Center,) we are taking a really hard look at real-time solutions that will impact the region not only 50 years out, like when you're talking water planning at the Region D level or state level, but we are also interested in real-time needs that impact us in five years."
Those include infrastructure such as pipes and maintaining a wastewater or water treatment facility, she added.
"For industry in our area, this might look like developing a rural water line from Wright Patman Lake to feed the needs of a growing development area at TexAmericas Center," Hale said. "I think it's really hard to explain to your neighbors that we're going to spend this money and what does our need look like going forward."
She said there is no one way to achieve these goals, and it's time to look at the big picture.
"The reality is we have many choices on how to meet our current and future needs, to be able to build a consensus choice instead of about requirements," she said. "I think when you allow people choices, and educated choices for us (it) is ultimately building a reputation of competency and trustworthiness."