RICHMOND – City voters are being asked April 5 to replace one Richmond water improvement tax with another that averages the same amount.

“You really won’t see any difference,” city Economic Development Director James Gorham said. “We looked at the 10-year average of the tax levee, so we’re staying within that 10-year average. … It’s pretty much just a wash because we have debt that is retiring, that’s going to be paid off, so this will just fill that gap.”

The city paid off the last general obligation bond for water improvements in January 2021. The old bond covered the cost to build a water supply well and pipelines, increase water storage and upgrade the water treatment plant.

The city wants voters to authorize $5 million in new bonds for further improvements: water treatment plant upgrades to meet current and future needs, concentrated replacement of frequently breaking mains, a comprehensive water loss investigation and replacement of additional mains revealed from the investigation.

The focus on reducing water main breaks is a primary reason for the proposal, Gorham said.

“In 2020, early 2021, the city began developing our water master plan, because we keep track of every break that happens in the city,” Gorham said. “That plan narrowed down where the most frequent breaks are happening. If the bond passes, we’re going to first start with attacking the most common streets that have water main breaks.”

There are up to 10 streets “that have constant breaks,” he said.

Known breaking points for lines might not be the only lines that need attention, Gorham said. For that reason, the city will use the new money to investigate methodically where the system might be losing water to line breaks that are not yet evident, he said.

“Water loss doesn’t always come up to the ground. Sometimes, it is under the ground, so we don’t see it,” Gorham said. “We’re going to identify areas that we may not be aware of, and then we’re going to attack our big problem areas.”

If the measure fails, then water waste and line breaks would logically worsen, he said.

“As this infrastructure continues to de teriorate and get older, we’re going to see more and more breaks,” Gorham said.

Eventually, the city would fail to meet capacity needs, which would be detrimental to Richmond’s future, he said.

“It matters a lot, because what will happen is – if we can’t meet the demands of our community – development in general will cease,” Gorham said.

Development cannot occur where there is not enough capacity to meet the need, he said, based on regulations created for community safety and growth by the Department of Natural Resources.

“DNR will not allow us to increase our customer base, if we can’t supply them with water,” Gorham said.

In addition to requesting millions in bonds, the city plans to use more than $1 million in federal assistance provided by the American Rescue Plan Act. Gorham said water system upgrades are among the ways ARPA funds may be used.

“The city has said, if we pass this $5-million bond, we’re going to throw all of our ARPA money in it, because it’s a critical need in our community, it’s something we have to address,” Gorham said. “We’ll have $6 million total for the whole project.”

The public should not be surprised by the request for funds to tackle line breaks, he said.

“This is something that most residents of Richmond are aware of. They see the breaks everywhere, so they know it’s a need,” Gorham said. “It’s an investment in our community that everybody is going to be grateful for at the end of the day.”

It matters a lot, because what will happen is – if we can’t meet the demands of our community – development in general will cease. ‘

JAMES GORHAM

RICHMOND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

FOR MORE INFO

For more information about the tax plan, go to cityofrichmondmo.org.

“We want to be as transparent as we can be,” Gorham said. “The water system master plan is on there. Residents can go and take a look on there and see exactly what we’re talking about. … It spells out exactly where we’re going to be spending the money.”

ON THE BALLOT

"Shall the city of Richmond, Missouri, issue its general obligation bonds in the amount of $5,000,000 for the purpose of extending and improving the waterworks system of the city, including upgrading the water plant, replacing water mains and acquiring land and rights of way?”