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BENTONVILLE -- The city will spend $500,000 more to fix leaks in its water system with hundreds of repairs done and millions of dollars spent already. The City Council voted 8-0 Tuesday to increase the amount of the city's contracts with the Bentonville-based Calcon Inc. and the Rogers-based Hickman Underground by $300,000 and $200,000 respectively to cover further work on an ongoing water service line replacement project. The amendments -- funded by utility fund reserves -- bring the totals of the Calcon and Hickman Underground contracts to $2.8 million and $1.2 million per contract term, respectively. The city has a third contract with Mo-Ark Utilities in Missouri for the project valued at $2.5 million per term. The city also unanimously approved entering into agreements with Calcon and Mo-Ark Utilities to extend the city's contracts with these companies for the water service line replacement project for an additional one-year term. The new term will run from Nov. 20 to Nov. 20, 2026. All these items were approved as part of a larger consent agenda. Donnie Schmidt, city water utilities operations and maintenance manager, wrote in a form in the meeting packet the city identified the replacement project as a need late last year due to the increased failure rate of the city's water service lines exceeding the city's ability to meet demand. Bentonville's water loss has increased from around 30% historically to more than 50%, according to a list of frequently asked questions concerning proposed 100% water rate increases the City Council approved March 11. Schmidt and Preston Newbill, city water utility deputy director, provided the city Finance Committee an update on the replacement project earlier Tuesday. Schmidt said Bentonville is continuing in the "right direction" with fixing leaks. He noted the city purchased about 14% less water in September of this year compared to September 2024 -- more than 651.7 million gallons versus more than 759.1 million -- despite the city setting almost 50 new water meters this September. Schmidt partly attributed the results to city water customers buying less water. Newbill said the city has seen significantly less water use for irrigation customers. He also said residential customers have been "more cautious" in using water in light of the water rate increases. The city started applying the increases to bills generated on or after April 14. Schmidt said Calcon has so far performed 559 water service line repairs at a cost of just under $2.5 million via its contract with the city for the replacement project. Mo-Ark Utilities and Hickman Underground have performed 427 repairs at an estimated cost of more than $2.2 million and 185 repairs for an estimated $969,202 respectively through their contracts. GRANT The City Council voted 8-0 to enter into a $130,000 matching grant agreement with the Walton Family Foundation to fund a dedicated grant writer position for the city as part of the consent agenda. The grant money will also go toward improving the city's winter weather response and operational efficiency by deploying a telematics system -- GPS and sensor-based fleet technology that tracks real-time location, use, routing and engine diagnostics -- to monitor, document and verify snowplow and de-icing operations in real time, according to the grant agreement. Patrick Johndrow, city finance director, said the grant will allow the city to continue funding its grant writer position. The position was originally funded by another Walton Family Foundation grant the city accepted in 2022. Heather Delhagen, assistant finance director of budget and grants, said Bentonville's previous grant writer, Rebecca Pinson, resigned about three months ago. Delhagen hopes to fill the position as soon as possible. The Walton Family Foundation will provide the city an initial $90,000 after receiving the signed grant agreement from the city, according to the agreement. The city will receive up to $40,000 in additional match money after the foundation approves a report from the city showcasing how the city spent the initial payment and what the city accomplished with it, as well as written documentation of matching money committed or collected. The progress report and matching money documentation will be due by July 17 and Aug. 7, respectively, the agreement states. A final report will be due by Dec. 31, 2027. The grant agreement also outlines certain performance measures the city agrees to meet with the grant -- both for the grant writer position and telematics system. For the grant writer position, the city will pursue and apply for at least 10 grants and be awarded at least $750,000 in grant money both of the next two years for a total of $1.5 million. The city will also integrate the position into regular budgeting and planning processes for at least a year after the grant ends. For the telematics system, the city will ensure 100% of designated emergency response routes are plowed and treated with de-icing materials within 24 hours of the onset of winter weather. It will achieve at least 90% system accuracy in recording and reporting snowplow activity and de-icing material application across all active vehicles as well.
