Title
Approving a wholesale water supply contract with Windermere Utility Company, and authorizing the City Manager to execute the same.
Summary
City staff have been working with Texas Water Utilities (the owner of Windermere Utility Company) to supply supplemental water to extend their wholesale water supply contract that was renewed in 2014 with the approval of the Rate Stabilization Agreement that the City entered into with Windemere Utility Company. As part of that Rate Stabilization Agreement, the City sold Windermere Utility Company an annual total of 100 million gallons (MG) on a “take-or-pay” basis at the cost of $3.25/1,000 gallons with no provision to increase this base rate. As this agreement will be expiring this year and the City wished to separate the Rate Stabilization Agreement and the Wholesale Water Contract to promote transparency in the agreements, this item is being brought forward along with the Rate Stabilization Agreement update.
After discussion with Texas Water Utilities, staff were able to work with their legal team on an updated Wholesale Water Contract that updated the wholesale cost per 1,000 gallons to match the most recent wholesale rate that the City’s rate consultant developed with an additional 5% above the wholesale rate. This rate came out to $4.97/1,000 gallons and the updated contract gave the City the ability to increase that rate if needed based on a rate study. As this is a wholesale rate, it does not encompass the entirety of a distribution rate as it does not account for retail service such as retail meter reading and maintenance, distribution line maintenance, and the maintenance of appurtenances that are not responsible for the transmission of the water to a wholesale customer. This contract would stay a “take-or-pay” contract where Texas Water Utilities will either take the full volume of 100 MG reserved for them every year, or “true-up” the final payment at the end of the year. With this updated rate and contract, the City will have an annual revenue of $497,000 which is above the previous annual revenue for the contract of $325,000.
This contract will allow the City to enhance the Strategic Goal of Infrastructure by allowing the City to sell excess water supply and use the cash flow from this contract to pay for water supply projects that the City is currently constructing.
Prior City Council Action
City Council approved a Rate Stabilization Agreement with Windermere Utility Company at it’s September 9, 2014 regular meeting.
Deadline for City Council Action
August 13, 2024
Funding Expected: Revenue _X_ Expenditure __ N/A __
Budgeted Item: Yes ___ No __ N/A _X_
Amount: _$172,000/annually additional revenue__
1295 Form Required? Yes __ No _X_
Legal Review Required: N/A __ Required _X__ Date Completed: __7/5/2024______
Supporting documents attached:
Wholesale Water Supply Contract - Windermere
Recommended Action
Staff recommends approving a wholesale water supply contract with Windermere Utility Company, and authorizing the City Manager to execute the same.