[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6110926,"mediaKeyId","2755471-c81d4e76e3a0261934e58d44bab09b77","parentId",2755471,"title","Council roundup: transit contract, airport leases, public art and other routine measures pass; consent agenda approved","audioSeconds",118,"startMs",2044000,"endMs",2162000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2755471-c81d4e76e3a0261934e58d44bab09b77&start=2044&end=2162","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2755471-c81d4e76e3a0261934e58d44bab09b77/thumbnail_2044000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6110926/Bentonville/Benton-County/Arkansas/Council-roundup-transit-contract-airport-leases-public-art-and-other-routine-measures-pass-consent-agenda-approved","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6110926-d0bc6fe0a4b3cd7df944758209a4de4c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771202369&Signature=bOsOkguEVJqoeUJ-WPptf57kkcg2Uerx9T4iTaaAg1GM3zywcJ5OaNoCLGdJ9vr1KPmTt0FfYF9S6Il7EoqEWTBmeSTtaZAFle8YQ0~uHPL5JSNGU2h-IaoTFpPIP-TM9-lOzuViSRVcDH816pJASj42r4OU0QoNgn5wqd4Db6vVLVWB3i4CaCzqWiFmnH7GWQwYu40sRVdNkn9oja5Yeu-sKOaajOoX2DdzSoLaI4G9QiMu~fRckL0Iy~wknJXYmIlm186Q7NkJsC~SOJb7u0wD7q4Dg-DzOgcqatxsjRNQkrFghgjxV3IwKlmM83jWY0x~tOugqxb~Hyn46mrkbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bentonville","date","2025-03-11T00:00:00Z","article","The Bentonville City Council approved multiple consent and non-controversial items during the meeting, including contracts, land leases at the municipal airport, budget amendments, and planning approvals.

Key items approved on the consent agenda and in new business included:

- A 2025 public transit agreement with Ozark Regional Transit (ORT) for an amount not to exceed $568,286, with an emergency clause; staff said the contract was reviewed repeatedly by the finance committee and includes quarterly reporting. (Ordinance authorizing mayor and city clerk to execute agreement.)

- Multiple land lease agreements for hangar or airport property at the Bentonville Municipal Airport for addresses 2509, 2511, 2513, 2515, 2517, and 2519 Southwest I Street with various LLCs; council approved these resolutions authorizing the mayor and city clerk to enter into the leases.

- Budget and procurement actions: a resolution amending the 2025 budget to authorize an agreement with Olson for Greenhouse Road acquisition services in the amount of $592,800; a $47,386 agreement with Milestone Construction Company for storm damage repairs at Richards Park; acceptance of a $12,228 Justice Assistance Grant and corresponding 2025 budget adjustment; and a resolution authorizing a contract with Utrell Enterprises for mowing of city interchanges and Empire Group Property Management for right-of-way mowing within city limits.

- Utility and public works procurements: ordinances waiving competitive bidding and authorizing purchases including a 69 kV breaker with GE Grid Solutions LLC ($76,097.03) and underground wire with Stuart Irby (estimated $144,531.12); a utility board resolution authorizing an agreement with Trek Design Group for monitoring software and maintenance in the amount of $93,482 and amending the 2025 budget.

- Planning and land use approvals: multiple final plats, lot splits, property line adjustments, and a set of rezonings and a planned residential development were approved; staff said the planning department processed 304 projects in 2024 and the approvals reflect routine development activity.

- A resolution authorizing subrecipient agreement under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant for Townebranch Creek proceeded as a subrecipient arrangement administered through the regional planning commission rather than a direct city budget adjustment.

All listed items were moved, seconded, and approved by roll call as recorded in the meeting transcript; items taken off the consent agenda for separate discussion were addressed before final roll calls. Routine procedural motions also passed, including suspending rules to read ordinances by title only.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Bentonville City Council Meeting - March 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Bentonville City Council approved a package of consent and noncontroversial measures, including a transit contract with Ozark Regional Transit and multiple airport land leases, and completed a series of planning approvals.","taxTitle","Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas","taxId",79589,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6110931,"Bentonville council approves 100% water rate increase after heated public comment",3481,1430000,4911000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2755471-c81d4e76e3a0261934e58d44bab09b77&start=1430&end=4911","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2755471-c81d4e76e3a0261934e58d44bab09b77/thumbnail_1430000.jpg","/articles/6110931/Bentonville/Benton-County/Arkansas/Bentonville-council-approves-100-water-rate-increase-after-heated-public-comment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6110931-4fc3ed5166461e29639c79d2b2e9a531/orig.mp4?Expires=1771202369&Signature=O3oKrlhhPRw8haLEKp6V6RNRaY4BY0X7OEnDxFRXl5WYJGRqF8t~FbTRhJ4YYEhM-GWf2dXq3srJ6s-x10Xn~HlKsU54mq2cjzyr6jgTCaidGTL4DdY7-0MVZKFgA-rg8Lir0ZWJUkUmOJAWxsrnX2F2EiaOFUH4JC2Vj5MT1sB0gKHDaK~JzLb-rS3EP-upcuzSPXKeZUoMNYZSlmkQfD-K~6qN9EoOp0BREJYcBw8hjzIxu~vI9HJ~x4zyWtjYKoffbjdG8yCCzWipsUnOGAOwbpqfpchfFnGjjd5sKGBWRp2iPJaL38a8ykjg0REhBfxeNT7uIIIKWRoXg4592g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bentonville City Council on the night of the meeting approved an ordinance to raise the city's water rates by 100% for 2025, following a lengthy public comment period and a failed amendment to reduce the increase to 50%.

Public opposition and questions from residents set the tone for the discussion. \"This is bad governance,\" said Jeff Madgens, a Bentonville resident, during public comment, adding that a sudden, immediate doubling of water rates would be unfair to small businesses and households. Deborah Frey, another resident, said she recently received a notice about a leak at her home and said she could not afford additional city-imposed costs. Mary Zettle, describing herself as an outside observer, praised transparency but said she had heard \"no iota about what the impact of those leaks fixing leaks has done,\" and urged the council for clearer performance measures for contractors addressing water loss.

Why it matters: Council members and staff said the increase is needed to restore the utility's financial standing and make the city eligible for borrowing to fund capital repairs and leak detection work. Councilmember Agnew (role: council member) summarized the utility's financial position during debate, saying the city currently spends roughly $27 million in utility expenses while collecting about $17 million in rates and that the system needs roughly $10 million annually to improve its debt ratio and qualify for loans. \"We need approximately $10,000,000 annually additionally to cash flow a debt rate of 1.1 right now,\" Agnew said. City staff and consultants told the council they have mapped leakage and identified priority areas for repair but said the city lacks cash flow to accelerate repairs at scale without a rate increase.

Council actions and debate: Councilman Octavio Sanchez moved to amend the proposed ordinance to limit the increase to 50% for 2025 and revisit the remainder next year; that amendment was seconded but failed. Sanchez framed the amendment as a way to \"give the city time to find other sources\" and to limit immediate economic impact on citizens. Opponents of the amendment, including Agnew, argued lenders require the full revenue adjustment now to restore the utility's financial ratios and access capital markets for repair projects. The council then voted on the ordinance as presented and approved the 100% increase.

Staff commitments and next steps: Staff and the mayor said the city will provide more frequent, clearer reporting to the public about repair progress, leak detection outcomes, and rate-setting models. The council discussed monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) tied to contractor work and leak reduction; residents asked for executive summaries and visual maps showing where leaks have been found and fixed. The finance team said it will review the 2025 budget and present ongoing reporting and modeling to the finance committee.

Context and public reaction: Multiple residents said the water problems felt buried until recent briefings and called for clearer, earlier notice to the public; commenters asked why rates were not raised incrementally over previous years to avoid a sudden spike. City staff said the city has been working on meter replacements, district metering, and a contractor program to find leaks; they acknowledged the problem predates the current council and pointed to longer-term underfunding and higher-than-expected water loss as causes. The mayor and finance staff said the city will continue to evaluate other funding options but stressed that, without the rate increase, the city will have limited ability to borrow for capital projects needed to reduce ongoing water loss.

Ending: The council approved the ordinance and directed staff to return with clearer public reporting on leak repairs, KPIs tied to contractor performance, and a financial plan that shows how the new revenue will support debt capacity and capital projects.","After extended public comment and council debate, the Bentonville City Council approved an ordinance that raises city water rates by 100% for 2025. A council amendment to cut the increase to 50% failed.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council roundup: transit contract, airport leases, public art and other routine measures pass; consent agenda approved

Bentonville council approves 100% water rate increase after heated public comment