R2026-38 Resolution Authorizing a Professional Services Agreement with Intera, Inc. for Drought Support

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Council Memo Public Works Department No. 2026-19 DATE: 2/17/2026 TO: Honorable Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe and City Council Members FROM: Melissa Hon,Interim City Manager Matt Newell,Director of Public Works Robert Weil,Water Production Manager SUBJECT: Resolution Authorizing a Professional Services Agreement with Intera, Inc. for Drought Support SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council approve the attached Resolution authorizing the Mayor to sign and the City Clerk to attest to a professional services agreement in the amount of$50,000 between the City of Decatur and Intera, Inc. to provide drought support services. BACKGROUND: Drought resiliency has been a Council priority for many years, and the City's ongoing investments in dredging and alternative water supplies have made a difference. The current drought,which started in August 2025, has had a significant effect on water supply but the probability of losing water intakes remains low. Historically, all of Decatur's droughts have ended by April or May. We have such a large watershed that relatively small amounts of runoff will fill the lake and provide flow sufficient for our residents and industries. That said,the risk for a prolonged drought is not zero, and it is prudent to prepare for additional drought response actions if needed and look to the future. Intera has served as the City's water resource and drought resilience advisors since 2018. They were competitively selected to prepare the 2019 Alternative Water Supplies study. This report provided an adaptive management plan to reduce drought risk, and it has been an excellent guide. Several drought resilience projects recommended in the report have been completed, and others are in progress. It is recommended that Intera be authorized to perform consulting services to assist staff in managing the current drought and prepare for the next one. These services include: 1. Estimating the effects on lake levels if the expected spring rains are less productive than anticipated; 2. Evaluating short-term water supply solutions; and, 3. Evaluating the effectiveness of and the need for mandatory water use restrictions. When imposed,water restrictions have significant social and economic effects, and expert advice is needed to inform these major decisions. 4. After modeling risk, Intera will work with City staff and area industries to recommend the trigger levels for further drought responses. The trigger levels have not yet been updated to fully reflect the additional water supply created by the dredging project. The state of the art in drought management has advanced in the last 10— 15 years. Intera is teaming with a small firm, Western Hydrologics,whose goal is to"take the doubt out of drought."Better river modeling now allows