Commissioners told pump-station tanks are not on site and project faces roughly $2 million shortfall

Wichita County commissioners were briefed on a delayed pump-station project that county staff said remains incomplete and faces a significant funding gap.

Staff told the board the concrete pads for tanks are in place but the tanks themselves were not yet on site, a circumstance staff said is worrisome because some contractor payments and related procurement steps remain outstanding. Commissioners were told the project had been expected to be completed last year but has been pushed into the current year.

During discussion staff described the project as lacking about $2 million in funding, which has contributed to the contractor not completing planned work and to schedule slippage. The county did not provide an itemized budget or documentation in the meeting; commissioners asked questions about whether the pump station and tanks are part of a single project or multiple connected projects and sought clarification on remaining contract obligations.

No formal action—such as an appropriation, contract amendment or a motion to change the project scope—was taken during the work session. Staff said they will continue to follow up with contractors and the county procurement/finance office to reconcile invoices and outstanding work before returning to the commission with proposed next steps or requests for additional funds.

The briefing underscored the ongoing capital-project oversight role of the commission but did not establish a timeline for resolving the funding gap.