Weatherford Municipal Utility Board Regular Meeting (October 29, 2026)

The Weatherford Municipal Utility Board held a regular and executive session meeting on October 29, 2026, at Weatherford City Hall. Mayor Paul Paschall was absent. The meeting was called to order at approximately 12:03 PM and adjourned at 1:15 PM.

Presentations & Proclamations

• Service Awards: The board recognized four employees: Josh Clements (Electric Warehouse, 10 years), Nick Benson (Public Works Engineering, 10 years), Valerie Escobelle (Utility Billing Manager, 10 years), and Rosa Palacios (Service Center, 30 years).
• Take Back Meds Update: The 24th semiannual event collected 378 pounds of medication and 183 pounds of sharps. The city has collected over 10,000 pounds of medication since the program's creation.

Consent Calendar

The board approved the following items (6A-6G) with a single motion as routine business:

• Authorized laboratory equipment and maintenance services from Hach Company and HD Supply (up to $200,000).
• Awarded Bid No. 2026-020 to Evoqua Water Technologies, LLC.
• Authorized professional services from Schneider Engineering for energy management consulting (up to $274,000).
• Authorized expenditures with Anixter, Inc., Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc., Techline, Inc., and Wesco Distribution, Inc. (up to $4 million).
• Authorized pole attachment engineering services from TechServ Consulting (up to $200,000).
• Authorized expenditure with Thirkettle Corporation (up to $1 million) through a cooperative agreement.
• Renewed a utility forestry services contract with Northeast Service (dba Horton Tree Services) (up to $500,000).

Discussion Items

• Electric Line Construction Labor (Item 6H): The board approved the award of RFP 2026-017 for annual electric line construction labor to B&L Pole Line Construction Company as the primary vendor, with Last Call Line Services, Source Power, and Revolution Power as alternates (up to $1.5 million). Board Member Rod White asked about the purpose of the multiple alternates. Staff explained the alternates are a critical contingency for disaster response, and the bid tabulation process ensures the lowest available qualified vendor is used.
• Water Purification Plant Expansion (Item 7A): The board approved Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) #4 for the Dr. Paul Phillips Water Purification Plant expansion to 18 MGD, increasing the total contract value to $96,856,978.55. GMP #4, valued at $43.88 million, includes a new raw water pump station and 36-inch raw water pipeline. Director Rick Shaffer reported that the price reflects a $3.2 million reduction from original bids due to negotiated fee reductions and the carryover of contingency funds from Phase 2, which is trending $2 million under budget. Construction on Phase 3 is scheduled to begin November 3, 2026, with completion expected in June 2029.
• Annual Performance Dashboard (Item 8A): Directors Joe Farley (Electric) and Rick Shaffer (Water) presented the annual utility report. Electric rates have remained at 13 cents per kWh for 48 months, averaging 39% below the national average. System reliability numbers (CAID and SAID) were slightly above target due to major substation outages in February. Water rates remain 21% below the local average. The water loss rolling average is 11% (target 10%). An aerial leak detection program identified 50 leaks, saving an estimated 121 million gallons of water. The reclaimed water program returned 919 million gallons of treated water to Lake Weatherford, roughly a 50% return rate of water drawn from the lake.
• Executive Session (Item 11A): The board recessed into executive session to discuss a Qualified Scheduling Service (QSE) agreement under the competitive matters exemption. Upon reconvening, the board approved a motion to authorize the City Manager to execute the QSE agreement and a credit agreement with Guidepost Energy LLC.

Key Outcomes

• The consent agenda (Items 6A-6G) was approved unanimously.
• Electric line construction labor services were awarded to B&L Pole Line and three alternates (Item 6H).
• GMP #4 for the water plant expansion was approved, setting the total project contract at $96.86 million (Item 7A).
• The City Manager was authorized to execute agreements with Guidepost Energy LLC for qualified scheduling services (Item 11A).
• Future performance dashboard updates will be provided to the board as written memos.