R2023-227 Resolution Authorizing Farmland Real Estate Purchase in Dewitt County Pursuant to the Water Consultant's Recommendations (Intera)

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DATE: October 13, 2023 TO: Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe, Mayor Pro Tem, Lisa Gregory Decatur City Council FROM: Scot Wrighton, City Manager Jon Kindseth, Deputy City Manager RE: Resolution Authorizing Farmland Real Estate Purchase Pursuant to the Consultants' Recommendations Over the years the City has engaged multiple water supply consultants to ensure that the City is well served with adequate water supply and drought resiliency. The City began this process of seeking recommendations to increase our water supply almost 25 years ago with LGI in 1999 and more recently with Intera. These consultants have repeated similar recommendations, summarized broadly that the City should diversify its water supply, beyond Lake Decatur. Many possible new sources and recommended solutions were discussed with the City Council at the most recent study session held at the SWTP on September 25tH One recommendation from both LGI and Intera, not discussed in great detail in the recent study session, was to consider acquisition of more property above the Mahomet Aquifer to access ground water. Both LGI and Intera have recommended the City strategically acquire more farm fields to provide the City with options to drill wells for more ground water. The City does not necessarily need additional ground water today; but having access to more provides the City with additional redundancy and resiliency as we look to the future. Another benefit to acquiring wells at a distance from the existing wellfield is that it minimizes impacts to adjacent property owners. If water is all withdrawn at one localized site, the water level of the aquifer is drawn down significantly. If the same amount of water is withdrawn from a widely separated set of wells, the drawdown effects are minimized. The City and our consultants have done a lot of work in determining where the strategic acquisitions should be, but sizable properties in the best areas for aquifer access do not come on the market often. The location of this property was deemed to be ideal because it is within the deep area of the Mahomet Aquifer, it is not adjacent to any large municipal wells or landfills, and it is an area that is recharged by SanCreek. For that reason, staff recommend acquiring this property, and possibly others in the future. This property acquisition is proposed to be paid for out of the Water Fund, which has the available cash. We also propose that the property be rented out to a farmer with the revenue going to the Water Fund. The City will incorporate the acquisition into our drought resiliency contingency plans but will not take immediate steps to drill wells or pump ground water.