...Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the University of Wisconsin, Board of Regents to promote drinking water research. This MOA will be funded out of the Water Utility General Operating Budget based on the cost schedule attached to the MOA. Maximum costs per academic year shall be:
9/1/2024 to 8/31/2025: $58,574
9/1/2025 to 8/31/2026: $60,383
9/1/2026 to 8/31/2027: $62,276
Funding for 2024 is available in the 2024 Adopted Water Utility Operating Budget. Funding for additional years will be included in future Water Utility Operating Budget requests. No additional appropriation is required.
...Title
Authorizing the Mayor and the City Clerk to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin for continued drinking water research.
...Body
WHEREAS, Madison Water Utility is tasked with the responsibility of efficiently and reliably providing safe drinking water to the citizens of the City of Madison; and
WHEREAS, Madison Water Utility is constantly looking for and evaluating ways to optimize system operations, improve system efficiency, maintain and improve the existing high quality of water, and protect public health; and
WHEREAS, Madison Water Utility has conducted research on water quality, distribution system operation, pumping efficiency, and system modeling with the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering since 2002 and wishes to continue that relationship; and
WHEREAS, the graduate program in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has been an excellent resource in drinking water research that Madison Water Utility wishes to continue to support and utilize; and
WHEREAS, the research program has historically been of financial benefit to Madison Water Utility’s estimated operational costs from its inception in 2002 through August 2024 - creating savings that will continue to increase annually as system optimization expands.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that the Common Council of the City of Madison authorizes the Mayor, City Clerk, and Water Utility General Manager to execute a Memorandum of Agreement with the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin for the purpose of promoting drinking water research to improve the water quality within the Madison water system, protect the public health, and improve system operations.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that progress reports of on-going research shall be shared with the Madison Water Utility Board and that final reports of the findings from research projects carried out under this agreement shall be delivered in the form of a Master's Thesis to the Utility.