City staff told the Ridgecrest City Council on Oct. 1 that a pump and motor at the Leroy Jackson Sports Complex well suffered severe burn damage and needs replacement, and the council voted 5–0 to approve a $60,000 appropriation and waive competitive bidding because of the urgency.

A staff presenter said maintenance crews found the well out of service on Aug. 26 and discovered burned wiring and motor damage after Independent Well Drilling removed the unit. The contractor recommended cleaning silt from the well, installing a gravel filter and an appropriately sized pump and motor, and other remediation steps intended to restore depth and prevent gravel migration.

The nut graf: the city is operating on a single functioning well for that system, creating pressure on remaining infrastructure. Staff asked the council to approve an immediate payment and to waive the usual bidding procedures to expedite repairs.

Travis Reid, a public-works staff member present for the briefing, told council that recent pipe and basin connections completed days before a major storm helped drainage and that the recommended repairs should return the well to service without full redrilling. Staff told the council the contractor estimated the repairs could extend the well’s useful life by another 10 to 15 years.

Council members confirmed staff had coordinated with finance and that the city manager and staff would identify the funding source for the appropriation. After brief public comment (none for this item), a motion to approve the appropriation and waive bidding passed unanimously.

The council recorded no amendments to the staff recommendation. Staff said the city used the same vendor previously for a different well repair in 2022 and had consulted the public-works manager during planning for the current work. The contractor named by staff was Independent Well Drilling; the staff presentation listed the repair steps the contractor recommended.