The Brazos River Authority Board of Directors, at its July regular bimonthly meeting, approved a new contract with the cities of Clute and Richwood, approved the annual operating plan and multi-year capital improvement plan, and adopted a new vision for where the organization wants to be.
On Monday, July 25, 2022, the Board authorized a new five-year agreement with the cities of Clute and Richwood for the continued operation and maintenance of the Clute-Richwood Regional Sewerage System.
The contract extends from Oct. 1, 2022 through Sept. 30, 2027. The Clute-Richwood Regional Sewerage System consists of a four million gallon per day activated sludge wastewater treatment plant and a reuse facility that provides treated wastewater to local industry.
For 22 years the BRA has operated and maintained the facility located in the city of Clute in southern Brazoria County, said Brad Brunett, central and lower basin regional manager. After the original 20-year contract expired, the cities approved two additional one-year agreements until going out for a request for proposal for a five-year contract. The BRA was awarded the agreement and will continue to staff the location with four BRA employees.
As similar agreements have been, the new one will also be cost-reimbursable. The cities will reimburse the BRA for all expenses to operate and maintain the system. In addition, the BRA will receive a 5% management fee for its services.
Also during the meeting, the Board adopted the Fiscal Year 2023 annual operating plan and multi-year capital improvement plan. They also adopted a rate of $88 per acre-foot of water annually for Fiscal Year 2023, for both the System Water Rate and the Interruptible Water Rate, and adopted a rate of $61.60 per acre-foot of water annually for the Agricultural Water Rate.
The plan was prepared based on the Board of Directors’ direction to be customer focused and aggressive in developing water and water treatment solutions throughout the Brazos River basin.
A vision statement was also adopted into the BRA’s strategic plan as part of the plan’s overall approval.
“Overall, our six strategic goals remain the same,” said Jon King, BRA special projects and strategic initiatives manager. “What we’ve attempted to do is narrow the focus on the objectives and strategies that support that to make sure that we’re focused on things that are truly strategic in nature versus those that might be operational and fit elsewhere in an operational plan or daily policies and procedures that we go by.”
The BRA’s mission remains the same: to develop, manage, and protect the water resources of the Brazos River basin.
That vision statement reads: To be a trusted leader in water resource quality, availability, and resiliency for current and future generations of the Brazos River basin.
“You kind of have to think of it as the mission statement is why we exist, and the vision statement is where we want to go,” King said.
Also at the meeting, the Board:
• approved an increase in the Lake Limestone Sterling C. Robertson Dam Tainter gate replacement and improvement project budget by $2,055,000, from its current level of $4,652,000 to $6,707,000. The decision allows moving budget dollars from FY 2023 into the current year budget to allow the project to kick off early.
• authorized the General Manager/CEO to dispose of the surplus personal property as presented in the meeting under the terms and conditions that are in the best interest of the Brazos River Authority.
• approved an annual salary increase of 12% of the General Manager/CEO’s existing salary and justified a one-time merit bonus of 10% of his existing salary.
Learn More
The currently scheduled remaining 2022 Board meeting dates are:
• Sept. 26, 2022
• Nov. 14, 2022
Sign up for email Board Meeting notices here.
Brazos River Authority General Manager/CEO David Collinsworth will present meeting highlights, among other information, during the next virtual public meeting Aug. 4, 2022. The hour-long Brown Bag on the Brazos provides the public the opportunity to ask questions of BRA management.
For a complete list of Board actions from the meeting, go here. Or watch the full board meeting here.
Still have questions? Email information@brazos.org.