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Council Memo <br /> Public Works Department <br /> No. 2026-78 <br /> DATE: 9/8/2026 <br /> TO: Honorable Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe and City Council Members <br /> FROM: Melissa Hon, City Manager <br /> Matt Newell, Director of Public Works <br /> Robert Weil, Water Production Manager <br /> Jennifer Gunter, Watershed& Lake Manager <br /> SUBJECT: <br /> Resolution Authorizing Lake Decatur Watershed Farmland Conservation Program Agreement for a Pond <br /> Improvement with KOBS, LLC <br /> SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council approve the attached <br /> resolution authorizing a Lake Decatur Watershed Farmland Conservation Program Agreement between the City <br /> of Decatur and KOBS, LLC for the construction of a pond project to control sediment and erosion for a not to <br /> exceed cost to the City of$59,832.00. <br /> BACKGROUND: <br /> The City's 2021 Watershed Management Plan is designed to significantly reduce Lake Decatur sedimentation <br /> and improve the lake's water quality through watershed conservation. City staff manages the watershed <br /> conservation efforts in-house with the assistance of Spheros Environmental,the City's Watershed Management <br /> Plan consultant. <br /> The pond to be constructed on private land and is expected to result in these reductions over the 25-year life of <br /> the project: <br /> Nitrogen 2,525 pounds <br /> Phosphorus 86 pounds <br /> Sediment 62 tons <br /> This project is located off Jordan Road in Friends Creek watershed which directly deposits sediment and <br /> nutrients into the Sangamon River. The details of the project are attached to Exhibit A of the Resolution. <br /> This project is different than most of the other watershed farmland conservation projects in that it involves <br /> renovating a pond that was installed 34 years ago. Most of the agreements are for new projects rather than <br /> renovations. The KOBS pond is large and serves a large watershed. The pond was designed to protect the water <br /> supply from erosion and nutrients and served well for many years until the drainage structure washed out. It's a <br /> sign of the maturity of the program that we are now rebuilding protection measures that were installed in the <br /> last century. <br /> SCHEDULE: <br /> Work on this project is expected to start in fall 2026 and will be completed by December 2026 depending on <br /> weather conditions. <br /> LEGAL REVIEW: The form of agreement was approved as a template by the Legal Department on September <br />