State approves $9.17 million loan for Hot Springs wastewater phase; council warned rates may rise

City staff told the council that the State’s environmental funding program has approved $9,166,000 at 4% interest for 30 years to cover Phase 1 of Hot Springs’ wastewater treatment improvements. The award includes no principal forgiveness or grant components, city staff said, and the loan recommendation reflected the council’s historically low debt levels and modest utility rates.

Staff explained how the state evaluated applications: reviewers looked at each community’s existing operation-and-maintenance costs and outstanding debt. Hot Springs’ relatively low rates and limited debt meant reviewers determined the city had capacity to assume the SRF-style loan without substantive subsidy. Staff told the council that the state’s package assumed a plausible restructured user rate near $55 per user per month under the recommended financing, while earlier project scenarios had yielded higher user-rate estimates if no state assistance were available.

Council members asked for detail on project phasing and timing. Staff said design and permitting work could take up to a year and that construction phasing would be structured to allow continued operation of the existing facility while new components are built. The total project package modeled by the city’s engineer remains larger than Phase 1; staff said future state assistance for later phases is uncertain and should be evaluated in subsequent funding applications.

Officials said they expect an award letter from the state within weeks and that city staff will work with bond counsel and the state to finalize the financing terms. Councilors and staff noted that the city’s conservative budgeting and low debt levels helped secure the favorable interest rate but limited eligibility for principal forgiveness or grants in this funding round. Staff emphasized they will present a formal financing package to the council for approval before closing any loans.