Lamar council approves Rodeo Drive utility service, independent legal review

The Lamar City Council unanimously approved utility service for a property outside city limits and authorized an independent review of city charter documents and matters involving the Lamar Utility Board on Aug. 10.

The council approved an extraterritorial agreement to provide water and wastewater service to 6620 Rodeo Drive. Staff recommended approval because water and wastewater lines already serve the area, according to the Aug. 10 public meeting recording. The record does not state the agreement’s cost, duration, connection charges, construction or maintenance responsibilities, service levels or termination provisions.

The council also unanimously approved an engagement letter with Collins Cole Winn & Ulmer and authorized Mayor America Crestman to sign it. Mitch Amis said the council had directed staff about two weeks earlier to find an independent investigator or attorney to review city charter documentation and Lamar Utility Board matters. The record does not identify the specific documents or legal questions, or disclose the firm’s fee, timeline, reporting requirements or deliverables. The approval does not establish that the review is complete or that it has produced findings.

The actions followed a July 27 council meeting at which the city advanced legal and appraisal work for a planned wastewater treatment plant. In the July 27 public meeting recording, water staff reported average 2026 demand of about 2.27 million gallons per day and 306 million gallons of use through that point, compared with 303 million at the same point in 2025 — a 1.1% increase. Staff attributed the pressure to extreme heat and limited snowmelt, which reduces recharge to the city’s wells.

Stage 2 water restrictions remained in effect. Residents may water three days a week based on their addresses and only during specified hours, staff said. The department will monitor conditions and return to the council for additional conservation measures if dry conditions continue. Staff said drinking water remained compliant with state and federal standards, with no positive results in monthly bacteria sampling. The update did not include a current water-supply or reserve figure, so it does not establish a specific supply-versus-demand margin.

Wastewater-treatment property work

The council approved a resolution of necessity and an appraisal agreement for a planned three-parcel land swap and related condemnation proceedings. The actions allow title, appraisal and legal work to continue; they do not mean construction has begun or that the transaction has closed. Council members described the condemnation process as part of a “friendly” land swap, and Crestman said the city’s goal was to complete the legal and property work by the end of 2026.

The record does not state the appraisal agreement’s price, the total treatment-plant cost, the parcel owners or a construction start date. The city is continuing planning work with engineering firm JVA, including review of a 30% design plan and a systemwide study of inflow and infiltration. A City Council minutes record shows a separate $10,000 planning grant agreement for the plant. The council also renewed an annual agreement for use of Lamar’s augmentation station, using Lamar Canal shares rather than Fort Bent shares for return flows.

Lead-line work and budget

Staff reported that 19 of the 22 lead service lines identified during the city’s initial inventory phase had been replaced, or 86%. The meeting record did not identify the remaining lines, a replacement deadline, a contractor or total replacement cost. A previously posted City Council record shows Lamar awarded Reconn Holdings $175,340 for the lead-line service inventory project; that amount covered inventory work, not replacement of the remaining lines.

The city treasurer said 2027 budget preparation had begun. Meetings with department directors were scheduled for the week of Aug. 17, followed by a council work session Aug. 24 on revenue projections and higher-level budget priorities. Those meetings had not occurred as of Aug. 11, and the Aug. 10 record contains no numerical revenue projections or adopted budget priorities.