Last Updated on February 23, 2024, 10:22 AM | Published: February 22, 2024
WARR ACRES, BETHANY — On Tuesday, both the Bethany and Warr Acres City Councils were presented with a nearly $30 million indebtedness item to make much-needed improvements to the jointly operated Bluff Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant that treats both cities’ sewage.
While Warr Acres passed the proposal, Bethany ended up voting against the measure. The mandated improvement plan for the plant is halted, at least for now.
Council members in Bethany cited several problems with the contract presented to them in the meeting, ultimately deciding to revisit the issue after the City’s attorney, Robert Ray Jones, Jr., is given a chance to thoroughly review the material.
The rehabilitation plan recommended by the engineers and the associated costs are as follows:
- Utilize existing processes, but replace all damaged or inoperable equipment.
- Make some upgrades to increase efficiency.
- Phase 1 construction should be complete by 2028.
- The new plant should last around 30 years.
- Price tag: $29.2 million
The Authority must bid the project out to contractors in March 2025 or again be fined for non-compliance. The project’s engineering, Water Resources Board review, and the award of the loan must all be done before that deadline.
On Tuesday, both councils were presented with potential rehabilitation plans for the plant and asked to sign off on the contract on behalf of the Authority. The two cities will act as guarantors for the Authority to secure the loan from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.
As the contract was written, Bethany would pay for ⅔ while Warr Acres would cover ⅓ to account for the difference in estimated levels of use.
Warr Acres Council approves
The Warr Acres City Council ended up signing onto the contract with little disagreement.
Besides some clarification on what exactly the contract meant, and the revenue streams provided by the City to pay off the debt, the council accepted the contract. The council agreed that there would be no utility rate increases to cover the cost of the loan, either.
The vote was called, and the contract passed unanimously.
Afterward, the council took a moment to celebrate with some cake and punch in the lobby.
Bethany City Council refuses agreement for now
While Warr Acres council members were enjoying buttercream-frosted cake, the Bethany council was fiercely debating the merits of the contract.
As the council members questioned the presenting engineers and financial advisors, sentiments grew against the proposed agreement as it was written.
This was especially true after it became apparent to the council that the City’s attorney hadn’t thoroughly reviewed the contract yet.
“We are being asked to approve a 30-million-dollar loan, and it doesn’t look like that needs to be done quickly,” said Ken Smart, Ward 2.
“The numbers aren’t in the contract. The Authority came up with 66.6%. That’s unsubstantiated. We [don’t know] if this is a good deal or not …. If we’re going to make a decision on $30 million dollars, we need to do this in some time more than 5 days. I don’t buy a car in 5 days,” said Steve Palmer, Ward 2.
And, the City Attorney agreed, saying, “As Mr. Palmer stated, I haven’t had a really good opportunity to examine this in order to provide the necessary advice I need to council.”
Bethany voted against the contract 5-4.
However, the council later decided to consider the contract in the March 5th meeting, with specific instructions for Bethany’s attorney to thoroughly review the contract and meet with members beforehand.
The Bluff Creek wastewater plant
First built in 1993, the Bluff Creek wastewater treatment plant has handled a majority of both Bethany and Warr Acres’s wastewater.
The plant is managed by the Bethany-Warr Acres Public Works Authority, a unique joint trust led by members nominated from both city councils.
For years, the treatment plant has been plagued with issues. The plant has consistently failed to be compliant with state and federal regulations, and the plant has cost the cities hundreds of thousands in fines from State and Federal agencies.
The wastewater plant was temporarily shut down after it pumped untreated, raw sewage into Bluff Creek and a nearby roadway in 2022. In 2016, an Authority official was found guilty of wire fraud and tax fraud for using the Authority’s credit card to make unauthorized purchases.
Damian Powell is our government reporter for the smaller municipalities in the OKC metro such as Moore, Norman, Bethany, and Warr Acres. Damian is studying Political Science at the University of Oklahoma.
