Council reviews FY26–27 utility budget; staff proposes satellite leak detection and an additional utility technician

At a July 2 workshop the Fair Oaks Ranch City Council reviewed the preliminary FY26–27 utility fund budget and capital improvement program. Summer Fleming, director of finance, said overall utility revenues were projected to be roughly flat compared with the current year and that staff is not proposing a volumetric rate increase for FY26–27; instead, annual recalculated fees (including a projected $5.80 monthly increase in the water debt‑service fee) would cover debt obligations.

Grant Watanabe provided operating and capital highlights. He told the council the system loses roughly 56,000,000 gallons of water annually (based on a 2025 water‑loss audit) at an estimated annual cost of about $250,000. To address nonrevenue water, staff proposed a one‑time purchase of satellite leak‑detection and asset‑management services. The transcript contains inconsistent dollar figures for the proposed leak‑detection effort: one slide and Watanabe’s remarks referenced $6,363,000 as the request, while subsequent council discussion refers to $63,000 and $63,000 was discussed as a one‑time budget item; staff said they would verify and report back before any contract is executed. Watanabe said the one‑time program would include two systemwide satellite scans per year and on‑site follow‑up investigations to prioritize repairs.

Staff also recommended adding one utility technician to the organization to address growing workload, increasing meter replacements and emergency overtime. Grant said the fully loaded budget impact for the position is approximately $64,905 (salary, benefits, insurance and related costs); staff recommended phasing any additional hires over two fiscal years and would evaluate rate impacts as part of the five‑year financial plan.

Council discussed prioritizing a professional evaluation of the satellite detection technology and the staffing tradeoffs between hiring a new FTE versus contracting for temporary crews. Several council members said they supported budgeting for the leak‑detection pilot if staff returns with vendor verification and a clear scope.

Why it matters: The budget choices influence utility rates, service reliability and the pace of capital projects. The leak detection pilot and the additional technician are intended to reduce non‑revenue water and improve emergency response capacity.

What’s next: Staff will incorporate council feedback and return with clarified costs, vendor references, and the anticipated impact of personnel additions on the five‑year rate projection.