Welcome to Augusta KS

Project Background and Description:
The Redbud Rail Trail is a regional transportation and recreation project that promotes interconnectivity, quality of life, and economic development to connected communities across the Wichita Metropolitan region. Augusta's downtown is poised to become the eastern trailhead destination on a 50-mile pedestrian trail network stretching across Andover and Wichita then west to Garden Plain and beyond. After completing construction on the paved rail-trail segment within Augusta city limits, the City worked with Butler County to transfer trail manager responsibilities for the 3.15 mile section between the western edge of city limits and HWY 54/400. The Redbud Trail is already complete through Andover north of the HWY 54/400. The project will involve construction of two new pedestrian bridges over the highway and Whitewater River. The City intends to work with a local non-profit group AARTI to construct the remaining trail segments. The project will largely be constructed with grant funding or other federal sources of funding as described in the project development plan.

At the December 19th, 2022 meeting, the City Council approved an engineering agreement with the city engineer to begin the preliminary design for Phase 1, construction of the pedestrian bridge over HWY 54/400. The project plan was presented to the Butler County Commission at their January 24, 2023 meeting at the courthouse in El Dorado. The KDOT grant agreement for 80% of the construction cost is expected to be presented to the City Council for approval at an upcoming meeting in Spring 2023.

Current Status:
AARTI received a generous offer of volunteer labor from Scheel's, the new outdoor outfitters store opening soon at Town East Mall in Wichita. AARTI's volunteers will begin clean-up on the trail corridor on March 17th to prepare the trail for engineering and future construction activities. The city's engineer has completed survey work around the HWY 54/400 bridge and is preparing design concepts for KDOT's consideration. On February 21, 2023, the City Council approved a resolution authorizing bonds to be issued for Phase 1 - HWY 400 bridge bridge and preliminary engineering for Phase 2 - Whitewater River bridge. At the April 3, 2023 meeting, the City Council will be considering approval of the Transportation Alternatives Grant for the $3.26 million for Phase I.

City Council Meetings:

Information Links

Related Documents:

Project Background and Description:
The project involved a full-depth reconstruction of North Ohio Street from Belmont Avenue to the north city limits (approximately 400 feet north of Woodland Drive). The project included drainage improvements and replacement of four underground drainage pipes and the large box culvert immediately north of Augusta First United Methodist Church. The road was rebuilt with a proper base. We constructed a new pedestrian trail along the west side of Ohio Street. New sidewalks on the south side of Belmont were also constructed to complete the pedestrian network connection between Ohio Street and Custer Lane. The short stretch of pavement originally planned for replacement along Belmont was removed from the scope of the project and will be incorporated in a different project at a later date.

Current Status:
The North Ohio Street Project has reached substantial completion, which is an engineering term meaning that the project can now be used for its intended purpose. The road was opened to two-lane traffic in mid-November 2022 and the trails and sidewalks along Ohio Street are complete. What remains is a series of punch list items, generally minor items, that are due for completion by April 2023. This will include site restoration of the adjacent construction areas with seeding. Additionally, the contractor will come back out to reroll the asphalt when the weather gets hotter and the asphalt is more flexible. The contractor believes this will help smooth out the rougher areas in the surfacing that drivers have observed.

Township Roads (Shumway & Dike):
The City did not designate a northbound detour route on township gravel roads as these roads are not designed to carry heavy traffic like that on Ohio Street; nonetheless, about 15-20% of drivers (based on traffic counts in the early weeks of the project) chose to take these roads to travel north resulting in damage. Early on in the project, the city assisted the township with dust control on Shumway, the most heavily traveled section of township road. With North Ohio Street reopened, the township has now requested compensation for the damages. Augusta developed a proposal for a partnership with the township and Butler County that is under consideration. The City Council approved the partnership on February 6, 2023. The partnership involves installation of a chip seal paved surface on Dike Road between HWY 54/400 and 70th Street in the next three years. This improvement will eliminate the dust issues for township residents as well as Augusta residents on the west side of the city. Additionally, Dike Road would become a more reliable road surface during emergencies (i.e. floods) and a secondary alternative to Ohio Street for making connections between HWY 54/400 and 70th Street.

Project Background and Description:
The State of Kansas began pressing the City of Augusta as far back as 1997 to address the City Lake high hazard dam designation, specifically the spillway structure. The Augusta City Lake structures did not satisfy the hydraulic modeling for the maximum designed precipitation event. There were back and forth interactions with DWR for many years with various hydraulic models and studies before the next big affirmative action. In 2006, the City prepared a sales tax ballot measure to extend the 1% sales tax and specifically referenced the levee project and the spillway/dam project as capital improvement projects that would be funded. The City executed an engineering services agreement with MKEC in November 2007 to design repairs to the dam face and spillway. The city secured funding partnerships through the State of Kansas State Conservation Commission (SCC) and applied for EPA grant funding in 2008-2009 while revenues were slowly accumulating in the dam/spillway project fund from the sales tax implemented in 2006.

Discussions regarding dam face options began around October 2009 when a buttress dam and rip rap were discussed. Council expressed a consensus at that meeting for the second option, which involved lowering the lake and making repairs to the concrete face by replacing with rip rap (i.e. rock). The City executed a letter of intent for funding with the SCC in July 2010. The city approved a formal agreement for cost share assistance with SCC in September 2010. A work session was held on March 11, 2011 to discuss the spillway/dam project; during this meeting, the City's engineer MKEC suggested installation of an erosion control blanket and sacrificial berm as a cost saving measure as opposed to rip rap rock.

The City authorized bonds to finance the spillway/dam project in July 2011. There was a lengthy discussion amongst the City Council on July 18, 2011 about splitting the project into two projects: one for the spillway and a separate project for dam repairs. This topic was discussed again on August 15, 2011 and Council voted to move forward with a single project. Temporary notes were officially approved for award on August 15, 2011. The City executed an engineering services agreement with MKEC in September 2011 for construction inspection services on the project. The city accepted an EPA grant to assist with the project in October 2011. The City approved bids for construction on November 7, 2011. Installation of the turf reinforcement mat on the dam was discussed on March 19, 2012. On July 2, 2012, MKEC makes a reference to cost having been a determining factor in the installation of the turf mat and a sacrificial wave berm instead of installing rip rap across the face of the dam. The minutes state that “…it was always originally going to be a wave berm and rip rap, but cost was also always a big concern…rip rap the entire face of the dam was going to cost $750,000 to $1,000,000.”

During the most recent dam inspections by the City Engineer in 2021-2022, erosion on the dam face continued to creep higher. As its name implies, the sacrificial wave berm was designed to be sacrificed over time, but the erosion sped up and intensified after massive rain events in recent years. Based on the engineer's recommendations, the City lowered the lake by 2 feet in early summer 2022 to prevent erosion from moving beyond the sacrificial berm into the actual primary dam structure. The lake levels declined even further as a result of the drought and the City's use of Augusta City Lake as a primary water source this year while we were perfecting our water rights.

On August 1, 2022, the City executed an engineering services agreement with Schwab Eaton to perform design engineering services to repair the dam with a rip rap rock face. Since that time, Schwab Eaton has completed topographical survey and been working with the Kansas Division of Water Resources to move the design plans closer towards a construction phase. Dams are heavily regulated and require permitting and approval from state and federal agencies to carry out repairs of this magnitude. At this time, the City expects to bid the project for construction in the fall of 2023 after the engineering plans/permits are cleared by the state agencies. The lake level will likely remain low until that time, although the City will not actively be drawing water for potable purposes as we did throughout 2022. The rough cost estimate for the repair is $1.2 million, which is similar in cost to the original proposal in 2012 once adjusted for inflation. However, this project will also likely result in a number of roads being damaged from trucks hauling rocks, so the price will be higher in order to repair these roadways. The funding source for this water supply project will be the water sales tax fund, which currently has a balance of $7.7 million. The road repairs will be made utilizing street sales tax funding.

The City Council conducted a work session on January 30, 2023 to review proposed engineering solutions to the dam repair, including two methods of riprap rock installation and one installation involving a product called Flexamat. The City Council chose to proceed with the riprap options.

Current Status:

The City secured the required Corps of Engineers (COE) permit and received the State Division of Water Resources permit in late summer 2023. On September 5, 2023, Augusta City Council and the Augusta Township Board of Trustees signed agreements regarding haul routes and roadway maintenance. The City accepted bids on September 27, 2023, and construction should begin in early fall 2023.

City Council Meetings:

Related Documents:

Dam Erosion Pictures

BASE Grant Projects Map

Installation Begins on Industrial Park Feeder and Electric Substation Signage

Project Background and Description:
At the City Council’s Strategic Retreat on February 19, 2022, City Manager Josh Shaw gave Council an overview of several grant opportunities that staff was planning on applying for in 2022. One of these programs was the Building a Stronger Economy (BASE) grant program, which provides funding to infrastructure projects that address economic development opportunities and infrastructure needs for industrial parks. City staff worked with D-J Engineering, Inc. to prepare a joint application submittal based on their planned expansion, leveraging investments they already made in order to meet all local cost match requirements.

Augusta was one of only 35 total projects awarded across the entire state. We originally applied for $9,096,425, but were granted a partial award of $4,000,000 (the 7th largest in the state). This funding is earmarked for three major electric grid improvements that will address major deficiencies inhibiting Augusta's long term growth potential. These projects include a new electric substation near the old Williams Refinery Property, a 69 KV high voltage transmission line connecting the electric plant to the substation, and a dedicated feeder circuit between the electric plant and the industrial park. These projects will help improve the reliability of Augusta's electric grid and improve our capacity for future industrial and residential growth. The city was planning to issue bonds financed with electric rate increases to pay for these project; however, the grant covered 100% of the cost and will not require any funding from Augusta's citizens. This once-in-a-lifetime funding opportunity will set Augusta up for future redevelopment of the Williams Refinery site.

Current Status:
The city has placed orders for much of the equipment (i.e. poles, transformers, materials, etc.) to construct these improvements, with construction taking place throughout 2023 and the first half of 2024. A new sign was fabricated and placed at the SW Substation site announcing the project location and the State of Kansas funding of the project. The control panel for the Feeder 8 portion of the project was delivered and installed. City crews have started trenching and laying conduit for Feeder 8, which will ultimately stretch 1,800 feet and cross underneath the railroad tracks to reach Augusta's industrial park.

City Council Meetings:

Related Links:

2022 BASE Grant Awardees

Project Background and Description:
The Augusta Municipal Airport (AMA) is currently in the planning phase of an extensive runway reconstruction project necessitated by several factors including current runway pavement condition, obstructions to the north, and a dangerous line-of-sight hump in the runway. This project began in concept in 2009 and has gone through many years of planning and development with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Project highlights include:

Shift Runway to the south by 500'
Lengthen runway to 4500' (from 4200')
Widen Runway to 75' (from 60')
Reconstruct runway with concrete, fixing elevation and lint-of-sight problems
Lengthen taxiway A to match new runway location to the south
Reconstruct taxiway exit off of runway to meet current FAA standards
Shift/install navigational aids
Install new LED lights on runway and extend LED lights on taxiway
Build up southern elevation, closing/crossing SW 110th
Upgrade water main on south end
Remove NE corner of north ramp

The project will require a closure of the airport’s only runway for roughly 4-6 weeks at the end of 2023 and roughly 4-6 months during spring of 2024. Airport management and the airport’s consulting firm Olsson made every attempt to look for ways to make a suitable temporary runway, but unfortunately, due to the extent of the runway project and lack of a suitable location on airport-owned property, the runway will be fully shut down with no options for takeoff or landing of fixed wing aircraft during the construction phase.

For transparency and to lessen the impact on tenants, AMA scheduled several tenant chat sessions where the airport discussed the project and documented tenant feedback. The results will be discussed with the airport advisory board and any resulting suggestions will be shared with Augusta City Council.

The project is 90% funded through federal grants coming from the Federal Aviation Administration. Engineering design was completed in Summer 2023 and the city completed subordination agreements for the two utility providers later in the Summer 2023. The city also secured right-of-way to be utilized for construction of a cul-de-sac on the dead end section of 110th Street on the east side of the runway for local traffic and emergency vehicles.

Current Status:
Full runway closure for the pavement reconstruction and extension will occur beginning mid-December as shown in the draft schedule below:

October 9, 2023 - dirt work begins (runway open as usual)
Mid December 2023 to mid-January 2024- dirt work with runway closed.
Mid-January 2024 to late March or early April 2024- no construction, dirt work consolidating (runway open as usual)
Late March or early April 2024 to mid-October 2024 – full depth reconstruction of the runway, runway closed.

As a result of the closure, the City Council has approved a plan to temporarily reduce rental rates for impacted airport tenants.

City Council Meetings:

Related Documents:

Project Background and Description:
During the summer of 2020 it became clear the city faces several issues and opportunities regarding its metering technology that might best be addressed with a comprehensive approach. In 2019 the city adopted a plan to replace every water meter in its system with state-of-the-art digital meters. By early 2020 it became apparent the current water meter reading technology would also have to be replaced as both the hardware and software will no longer be supported as of 2023. At about the same time it also became evident the city needed to begin the process of replacing its electric meters. In addition to replacing the meters, the city determine that Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) antennas were the best investment for the future of our utilities. These antennas allow for automated communication of readings that do not require a person to physically read the meters. This technology also allows for improved leak detection and numerous other benefits to both the city and customers as described in this staff report.

Current Status:
There now are 1,275 water meter AMI sensors installed and functioning. Staff are awaiting word when the next shipment of the sensors will arrive. Electric Production staff continue to assist by drilling holes in meter lids to allow flush mounting of the sensors to maximize the transmission range of the units. Implementation will continue throughout 2023. New electric meters are not expected to arrive for another few months.

City Council Meetings:

Related Links:

AMI Metering Benefits and Pilot Project Explanation

Project Background and Description:
At the height of the drought in 2012, the City of Augusta worked with AquaTech Engineering to evaluate Augusta’s water supply options. The engineering recommendations are contained in a 2012 Water Supply Study. The study evaluated our customer base and long-term water use projections as well as the various options available for securing Augusta’s water supply. The study concluded that Santa Fe Lake and Augusta City Lake are not situated to supply all of Augusta’s potable water supply needs and that El Dorado Lake must continue as Augusta’s primary water source. The study recommended that the city perfect its water rights to maximize the availability of water from Augusta and Santa Fe lakes as back up sources. The study explored the option of wastewater effluent reuse and recycling, which is increasingly common in drought-stricken areas, but this was not Augusta’s best solution. The primary project identified was a new water line to El Dorado Lake. The city implemented a new water sales tax after a public vote in order to secure funding for water supply projects, including replacement of the El Dorado Line. Sections of the existing steel water line vary in age from 55-75 years old and require frequent maintenance and repairs to keep operational. Due to its age and condition, AquaTech recommended that the water flow be limited 2.5 million gallons per day to avoid damage to the pipeline, which was not sufficient to meet Augusta’s maximum daily needs during high usage days in the summer months. This was the reason that Augusta went on watering restrictions.

The City Council directed Augusta City Manager Bill Keefer, just prior to his resignation, to issue the temporary notes financing to pay for engineering design and construction of Phase 1 of the project. The City Council then approved design engineering contracts with AquaTech Engineering to begin designing the project. After the former city manager resigned, Assistant to the City Manager Josh Shaw filled in as interim for seven months while a new city manager was being recruited, working with AquaTech under the original scope to move the design towards completion. In November 2014, the City of Augusta hired Gabe Gonzalez as City Manager. After his review of the issue, the decision was made to change the pipeline alignment to move it outside of the railroad right-of-way and Frontier Refinery property. This required the project to be redesigned. Gabe Gonzalez then resigned from the City of Augusta in March 2014. At that point, the City hired Josh Shaw to serve as city manager.

From March 2014 to July 2015, two major factors arose creating an indefinite delay in the engineering design process for the new pipeline. First, the City of Augusta initiated a declaratory judgment lawsuit in July 2015 against its primary whole water customer, the City of Mulvane. The thrust of the lawsuit was to determine if the City of Augusta had the ability to renegotiate payment terms. The lawsuit was also consequential to the pipeline design process because it had the potential of voiding a contract for our largest wholesale customer if renegotiation of terms was possible and an agreement could not be reached.

Loss of Mulvane’s usage would dramatically change the scope of the pipeline project in terms of sizing, hydraulics, etc. The Mulvane lawsuit and subsequent appeals process did not wrap up until Spring/Summer 2019. The end result was no change in the existing contract. Second, negotiations with the City of El Dorado for a long term water contract dramatically impacted the timeline for development. Augusta gets up to 575 million gallons a year of raw water from El Dorado Lake to turn into drinking water. The contract was set to expire in 2026. The debt and repayment schedule for a new pipeline would extend out to 2045-2050, so it was absolutely critical to negotiate a contract extension versus risking installing a $20 million” pipeline that may only be able to move water for a few years. Negotiations with El Dorado spanned roughly eight years from 2014-2022 and culminated with the approval of a new 40-year water contract in May 2022.

Current Status:
The city's former engineer from AquaTech engineering, Willis Wilson, passed away in 2019 and the company dissolved. The city is working with its current engineer to review the original designs for the project and determine appropriate scope given what we have learned since the original water supply study of 2012 that prompted this endeavor. Since 2012, the City of Augusta has lost several major wholesale water customer contracts, including Rural Water District #4 and Sedgwick County District #3. Combined, these two entities approximated the usage of our other large customer, the City of Mulvane. Mulvane's contract is also set to expire in 2031 and there are currently no indications as to whether they will continue as a customer beyond this date. Mulvane currently represents about 35% of our annual usage. The impact of losing these customers is detrimental to the operation of our water treatment plant and also complicates the design process for the pipeline. The pipeline and all supporting infrastructure must be sized appropriately to serve the City of Augusta and all its customers for the next 50 years, but must be able to function hydraulically if these entities do not remain as customers. In short, the original pipeline size needed to meet projected customer growth is likely dramatically oversized for our actual needs and needs to be redesigned. These issues will be evaluated while city staff work with the City of Mulvane to determine their interest in continuing as a customer under a new contract beyond 2031. At the moment, between bond proceeds and water sales tax generated since its implementation, the City has a cash balance of $11,279,431.50 to be applied towards this estimated $20 million+ project once we are able to proceed to construction.

City Council Meetings:

Related Links:

Revised Skatepark Design
Final Revised Augusta Skatepark Design - 2023

Project Background and Description:
The desire for a skatepark in Augusta goes back several decades. The most recent ask for a skatepark came in 2015 when the Park Advisory Board met with skatepark enthusiasts requesting that a new facility be constructed. In 2018, the City Council earmarked $75,000 from the Pride & Progress Sales Tax initiative to be utilized for the design and construction of a skate park in Augusta. On February 18, 2020 the City Council approved a design-build agreement with Spohn Ranch, Inc. to develop a new facility in Augusta. Just prior to the first public engagement meeting in March 2020, the project was put on hold in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 2021, the City of Augusta and Spohn Ranch are now actively engaged in moving the project closer to construction.

Follow the City's Skatepark Project Facebook page to keep up with project updates and opportunities for community engagement.

Please also consider joining the Augusta Skatepark Fund Facebook Group, which has updates and information about the community fundraising effort for the skatepark project led by local skateboarding enthusiasts. They also have an Instagram account. You can purchase shirts, stickers, and other merchandise to help support the project here, or consider giving to the group's GoFundMe.

Current Status:

The groundbreaking event for the skatepark was held on August 11, 2023. City crews completed turf removal the second week of September, and the contractor Spohn Ranch began construction in mid-September. Construction was completed by the end of October, and a grand opening was held on November 5, 2023.

City Council Meetings:

Park Board Meetings:

Related Links:

Skatepark Project Page

Lift Station Before Repair

New Lift Station Under Construction

Project Background and Description:
Unlike water lines, sewer lines are not pressurized and rely on gravity to allow sewage to flow downhill to the City of Augusta wastewater treatment plant. When elevation changes are required, lift stations are able to "lift" the sewage to different levels to keep the sewage flowing by gravity. Simmons and Lakeside are two outdated lift stations (circa 1974-1983) in the northern part of town on the north and south sides of Shryock Park. The city originally budgeted to replace the lift stations in the 2021 budget, but the first round of bidding was unsuccessful. For the first time to our memories, the city received zero bids on a major construction project due to the supply chain and construction environment surrounding the COVID pandemic. As a result, the city delayed the project into 2022, modified the scope to encourage vendor interest, and rebid the project in early 2022.

Current Status:
Construction is complete. Seeding/sodding will be done in the fall 2023 to restore the grounds around the construction site.

City Council Meetings:

Towers Before Rehabilitation

New Cooling Tower Arriving at Electric Plant - March 2023

Project Background and Description:
The electric plant cooling towers are large radiators for our generating engines. The Worthington cooling tower is used to cool the Worthington generators’ compressed air after it leaves the turbos and before it passes through the intake manifold. The tower was installed in 1968 along with the Worthington generators. It has served the City well over the last 53 years but is showing its age. The main frame of the tower is decayed and weakening and poses a risk to staff when maintaining it. Many of the parts are obsolete, and difficult if not impossible to find, requiring staff to retrofit non‐standard parts or fabricate those parts themselves. It is no longer a question of if the tower will fail, but when it will fail. Finally, the water pits beneath the tower are so shallow they can freeze in extremely cold weather. This occurred in February 2021, rendering both Worthington generators inoperable during that event.

The first tower for generator C‐3 (Cooper‐Bessemer Engine) was installed in 1982 when the unit was new. Over the next 5 years, it was determined the single tower could not keep the engine temperature cool enough, so in 1987 a second tower was added. These two wooden towers worked well when the engines were running and online for weeks at a time during peak demand months. The wood remained wet for those weeks but then the engines would be offline for months at a time allowing the wood to dry. This is no longer the way we run. Today, the engines run for short periods many times year‐round. The wood gets wet and then dries many times each year causing the wood to dry rot. Over the years dry rot has become so bad that the screws used to hold everything in place are falling out due to the lack of solid wood.

Replacement cooling towers and parts are expected to cost around $350,000. These units were budgeted to be replaced in 2022-2023 and paid for out of the electric reserve fund; however, we also plan to utilize BASE grant proceeds for this project to minimize the impact on the electric fund.

Current Status:
The new cooling tower was delivered February 15. There is some damage that occurred in transit to the fill in the first tower
cell offload. This was reported to Midwest Machinery, and the vendor will have workers onsite to make the repair before we are ready to install the tower. Units W-1 and W-2 will have to be scheduled offline with Southwest Power Pool (SPP), and that authorization is expected no sooner than late March or early April.

City Council Meetings:

Project Background and Description:
The widely documented shortage of new housing construction across the state of Kansas has broad implications for community health, growth and economic development prospects. Augusta has experienced very little new housing growth in the past two decades, which has contributed to a decline in school enrollment and challenges with workforce attraction for major employers.

Since February 2022, the city has been actively working with developer Ross Vogel and Klausmeyer Construction to bring the first residential subdivision to Augusta in almost 20 years. One of the biggest challenges with new housing is making it affordable. To help with this as much as possible, the city partnered with the developers on a financing model that combines Moderate Income Housing (MIH) grant funding from the Kansas Housing Resources Commission (KHRC) with a financial incentive called Rural Housing Incentive District (RHID). The MIH grant funding will reduce the costs of infrastructure like sewers, water lines, streets, etc. that are normally paid for with special assessments. The RHID is a property tax incentive to the developer that will allow them to offer the lots at a reduced cost. Combined, these two incentives are estimated to reduce the buyer's cost by 18-20%. The new subdivision "Shadow Ridge" is slated to have 36-37 new housing units ranging in price from $220,000 to $280,000. Additionally, the homes will have no special assessments, which typically range $40,000 - $50,000 on new construction.

The development team and City were recently awarded supplemental funding and tax credits for this development project. In total, the MIH grants amount to $520,000. The preliminary plat was approved by the Augusta Planning Commission in April 2023. City Council approved the final plat on June 5, 2023.

Current Status:
Bids have been solicited and were opened September 12. Nowak Construction is the general contractor on the project. Pearson Construction will build the streets, and Alan’s Excavating will perform the dirt work. Construction of infrastructure is anticipated before the end of 2023. Once the infrastructure is largely completed, the developer will move forward with new home construction.

City Council Meetings:

Related Documents:

Housing Study & Needs Assessment

Related Links:

Subdivision Location Map

Project Background and Description:
The city's facilities for our public works (i.e. streets, parks, and solid waste) crews are in terrible condition. The parks department operates out of an old Butler County public works building on Ohio Street just south of Kelly. Streets and solid waste crews operated out of the old salvage yard buildings near 5th and Grove that the city acquired around 2006. These facilities were outdated when they were acquired and have received little investment since that time. The quality of the facilities impacts Augusta's ability to attract and retain workers, negatively impacts employee morale, and do not adequately protect our equipment from the elements.

In 2016, the city included funding for new public works facilities in the bond issuance for the Pride & Progress initiative. After working with architects and engineers to plan the project, it was determined that the budget was not sufficient to meet our ultimate needs. Accordingly, the city scaled its approach and constructed a brand new operations building for the solid waste division, which recently implemented the automated trash service and had a $1 million fleet of trucks that we wished to preserve. This facility was constructed in the electric plant complex on 12th Street and includes storage bays for all trucks, a workshop, restrooms and locker rooms, breakroom, and a storm shelter. This building was completed and the solid waste team relocated at the end of 2020.

After completing the new solid waste building, the city began making plans for future public works buildings in the area of 5th and Grove to house the streets and parks division teams. Several residential properties have been acquired to consolidate the complex footprint. The city considered acquisition of an existing industrial building to house our operations, but city staff and the City Council determined that the facility would not meet our long term needs and chose to pursuant development of new facilities instead.

Current Status:
City Engineer Schwab-Eaton has completed a drainage study, preliminary plat and facilities layout for the public works facility in the area of 5th Street and Grove Street. Staff have performed additional infrastructure locating, reviewed the documents and shared their thoughts with the engineers. Schwab-Eaton staff are now making modifications to their submittals and will return them for additional review by staff. This process will wrap up in 2023, at which point, the city will consider issuing bonds to finance the construction of the new buildings. Financing availability will determine the ultimate start date for construction as the improvements are forecasted to cost $4-$5 million.

City Council Meetings:

Project Tracker

Augusta City Hall

Electric Department

Trash/Roll-Offs

Building Inspections

Santa Fe Lake

Public Safety

Water

Streets

Human Resources

Augusta Municipal Airport

Utility Office

Wastewater (Sewer)

Elmwood Cemetery

Swimming Pool

Parks & Recreation