Now, the real work begins.
Eureka voters approved a measure to allow the city to sell its water and sewer systems to Missouri American Water on Aug. 4.
According to final, official results, Proposition S garnered 2,289 yes votes (67 percent) to 1,127 no votes (33 percent). The ballot issue required a simple majority to pass.
Mayor Sean Flower said the next step is for the city and Missouri American Water to draft a legal agreement for the sale.
“We have to pass an ordinance to actually sell the system,” Flower said. “(The Board of Aldermen) will have to approve (the sale).”
Flower also said the state’s Public Service Commission, which regulates investor-owned electric, natural gas, steam, water and sewer utilities in Missouri, also has to approve the agreement.
Missouri American Water senior director of operations Brian Eisenloeffel said the company plans to take over ownership of Eureka’s systems in 2021, and the water source will be switched from the city’s well system to a plant in Chesterfield that processes water from the Missouri River. He said the source change should be completed by summer 2022.
Eisenloeffel said a four-mile pipeline will be installed between Eureka and Wildwood, which also receives its water from the Chesterfield plant, to deliver water.
“We started the day after the election working on some of the details,” he said. “Our engineering team is working on building a pipeline, because that’s key and that was a big part of this transaction.”
Eisenloeffel said Missouri American Water will inform residents when the water source is switched.
Eisenloeffel said Missouri American Water plans to offer jobs to Eureka’s current water and sewer employees during the transition.
Eureka will continue running both systems until the deal is final next spring.
The decision
Flower said he was pleased by the support the measure received to allow the city to sell its water and sewer systems.
“I thought (the margin of victory) was really, really strong,” Mayor Sean Flower said. “I thought it was a really good indicator that a lot of people were aware of what happened, they understood the issues and they went out and voted.”
Eureka has 7,932 registered voters in St. Louis County, and of the 3,405 who reported to the polls on Aug. 4, 3,396 weighed in on the issue.
In Jefferson County, 20 of the 76 registered voters cast ballots in the election; 19 of them voted for Proposition S.
Flower said he believes the high turnout put the issue to bed. “I think even people that were opponents of it feel like the people spoke, and that’s the course we’re going to take,” he said.
Flower said voters waited in lines at most polling places on Election Day. He also said the lines appeared longer than they were because people were standing six feet apart.
Tom Ferrari, 57, cast his ballot at the Rockwood School District’s Administrative Annex. He said it was the first time he had to wait to vote in Eureka, but that it took him about 10 minutes to cast his ballot. “It went fast,” Ferrari said. “It was a well-oiled machine.”
Eisenloeffel said he was happy with the election results. “The election results, I believe it was around 66 percent, that’s a clear indication that they wanted some changes,” he said.
Windfall
The city will receive $28 million from Missouri American Water for the transaction. An appraisal valued the water system at $18 million and the sewer system at $10 million.
Missouri American Water has estimated it will spend $37.2 million on capital improvements to the system.
Flower said the Board of Aldermen will have to approve any projects financed by funds from the sale.
Flower said he would like to see about $7 million used to pay off debt related to the construction of the Timbers of Eureka complex and a water softening system the city invested in. He also said he also believes it would be smart for the city to have a “rainy day” fund for emergencies.
“I will be suggesting (projects), and I think the board members are there saying that there are some road and stormwater projects that we could evaluate and look at,” he said.