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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-15-26 Work Session MinutesDUBLIN CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION SEPTEMBER 15, 2026 Minutes Mayor Amorose Groomes called the Tuesday, September 15, 2026 work session to order at 6:00 p.m. Council members present: Ms. Alutto, Mayor Amorose Groomes, Vice Mayor De Rosa, Ms. Johnson, Mr. Keeler, Ms. Kramb and Dr. Lam. Staff present: Ms. O'Callaghan, Mr. Barker, Mr. Rubino, Ms. Hunter, Ms. Murray, Mr. Urbancsik, Mr. Hoyt, Mr. Ament, Mr. Hammersmith, Mr. Hendershot and Mr. Fridley. Also present: Jeffrey Rowe and Brian Cooper from Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors LLC. Ms. Kramb led the Pledge of Allegiance. 2027 Operating Budget and 2027-2031 CIP — III - Utilities Chief Finance Officer Matt Rubino introduced the session, noting that this was the third budget work session for 2027 and that it had been structured specifically to address utilities — covering both water and sanitary sewer systems — in a dedicated breakout format. The presentation would address operating budgets, capital improvement programming, and a comprehensive utility rate study. Mr. Rubino introduced the presenting staff, which included members of the Engineering Department, as well as Brian Cooper and Jeffrey Rowe of Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors, the firm engaged to conduct the 2026 utility rate study. Mr. Rubino also presented a proposed revision to the overall budget schedule. To allow sufficient time for follow-up from the current work session and for continued refinement of the proposed operating budget, the next operating budget work session was rescheduled to October 5th, with introduction and first reading of the budgets moved to October 26th and final approval anticipated in November. City Engineer Paul Hammersmith provided a historical and technical overview of the City's water and sanitary sewer utility systems. Water Utility The City of Columbus has served as Dublin's water service provider since the original agreement dated April 13, 1993, which was updated in 2023. Under this arrangement, Columbus maintains the water distribution system — including break repairs and service line work — while Dublin owns the infrastructure assets and is responsible for maintaining fire hydrants, booster stations, and water towers, along with all associated capital expenditures. The water distribution system comprises 270 miles of water mains, approximately 3,300 to 3,400 fire hydrants, and 6,500 valves. Dublin operates five pressure districts and maintains six water storage tanks, four of which were added or replaced in the last 25 years, along with four booster stations. Council Work Session September 15, 2026 Page 2 of 10 Sanitary Sewer Utility Similarly, the City of Columbus provides wastewater treatment services under the same 1993 agreement, updated in 2023. A small area north of Summit View Road — specifically the Wedgewood Hills neighborhood, encompassing approximately 210 acres — is served by the Delaware County Regional Sewer District. Unlike the water system, Dublin bears full maintenance responsibility for its sanitary sewer collection system, including all pipes, pump stations, and lift stations. The system includes 235 miles of sanitary sewer mains, 5,700 manholes, and nine tributary sewer sheds. The two pump stations in service are the Wyandotte Woods pump station and the more recently constructed Dumfries Court East pump station. Infiltration and Inflow (1&1) Mr. Hammersmith identified infiltration and inflow as a paramount issue for the sanitary sewer system. I&I refers to the entry of stormwater and groundwater into the sanitary sewer collection system, which can occur through building downspouts historically tied to sanitary lines, sump pump connections, cross connections, and structural defects such as cracks and open pipe joints. These conditions can cause sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) — instances where surcharge events lift manhole covers and discharge onto the ground — as well as water in basement events (WIBs), in which sewage and water back up into the lowest level of a resident's home, typically through a basement floor drain. Mr. Hammersmith traced the regulatory history of the City's I&I challenges back to the late 1980s, when the City was subject to Directors Final Findings and Orders (DFFO) from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency due to a chronic overflow issue at a pump station at Short Street and Karrer Place. During that period, the City was required to remove two gallons of I&I for every one gallon of new effluent introduced by new development. Relief came with the construction of the West Branch Interceptor Sewer, which went into service in 1998 and allowed the Short Street pump station to be decommissioned. A second DFFO was issued by the Ohio EPA on February 11, 2009, arising from the City of Columbus's broader consent order to address unpermitted discharges from its collection system. Key requirements imposed on Dublin and other satellite communities included properly operating and maintaining the collection system, conducting sanitary sewer evaluation studies, developing SSO emergency response plans, and submitting documentation to the Ohio EPA on a biannual or annual basis. In response, the City commissioned a Deer Run Sanitary Sewer Study in 2012, refreshed the study in 2019 with updated findings, began the Envision Dublin process in 2024, and is currently undertaking a Sanitary Sewer Utility Master Plan. Capital improvements completed in response to study findings include sanitary sewer main lining spanning more than 20 years, the upsizing of the Muirfield Drive and Carnoustie Drive sanitary sewer in 2017, the Dumfries Court sanitary pump station, and most recently the Deer Run Wet Weather Relief Sanitary Pump Station along Dublin Road north of Memorial Drive, which uses a 16-inch force main and three pumps to redirect peak wet weather flows downstream to Emerald Parkway. Observed SSOs and Water and Basement Events Mr. Hammersmith reviewed the spatial distribution of SSOs and WIBs observed between 2007 and the present. From 2007 to 2023, the City recorded 12 wet weather SSOs at five locations and 31 wet weather WIBs at 16 locations, concentrated largely within the Deer Run Sanitary Sewer Shed and including locations such as Ludwig Drive, Presswick Drive, Dumfries Court East, and Glassford Court South. Council Work Session September 15, 2026 Page 3 of 10 \ a Sanitary Sewer Uplity Master Pian Eihtat A + Objervesd SHON Everts 3007 200) story Gewet Cetin: UL ovints Mt tocagere Water Rmaerent, 31 events at 33 bocatorm | \ lg —] aon ® [ume Bin © te \. Ml 9 — o> yes Fab EA sie a& Since 2023, the City has recorded 3 wet weather SSOs at a single dominant location and 2 wet weather WIBs at 2 locations. Mr. Hammersmith noted this reduction was not necessarily a reflection of systemic improvement, but rather of interim mitigation measures in place. Mr. Hammersmith introduced the City's interim mitigation measure of installing backwater valves in impacted homes. A backwater valve is a check valve installed in a basement floor that prevents sewage from backing up into a home during surcharge events. When the valve is activated, it closes a flap against a seat, blocking reverse flow. An alarm system — both audible and visual — alerts residents when the valve is activated, at which point use of household plumbing is not possible without risk of internal backup. The City has installed 22 backwater valves in affected properties at a typical cost of $5,000 to $7,000 per installation. Mr. Hendershot then elaborated on the City's comprehensive approach to mitigation, organized around two categories: reducing 1&1, entering the system and constructing sanitary relief sewers to convey excess flows that cannot be eliminated. Mr. Hendershot described an ongoing pilot project in which the City is deploying smoke testing and wet weather closed-circuit televising to identify I&I sources. Preliminary findings suggest that the primary source of infiltration is degraded private service laterals constructed of vitrified clay pipe — a common material used in residential development during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The pilot project is testing three mitigation measures: lining service laterals from the main connection to the house, lining the mainline connection to the right of way, and grouting service connections. Flow meters installed at each location will measure the 1&1 reduction achieved, and those results will inform a larger Sanitary Sewer I&I Mitigation Program targeting a 30 percent I&I reduction across a defined area encompassing portions of the Deer Run and North Fork Indian Run sewer sheds. Mr. Hendershot emphasized that achieving this reduction is a prerequisite to sizing the relief sewers cost-effectively; without it, a project such as the Glick Road Relief Sewer could require a pipe as large as 120 inches in diameter, which would be cost-prohibitive. Council Work Session September 15, 2026 Page 4 of 10 Three sewer sheds are the focus of relief sewer construction: Deer Run, North Fork Indian Run, and South Fork Indian Run. The already-constructed Deer Run Wet Weather Pump Station (2024) was identified as a necessary precursor to receiving flows from the proposed relief sewers. The following projects were presented with their anticipated mitigation benefits: e Glick Road Sanitary Relief Sewer — currently under preliminary design. e Muirfield Drive Sanitary Relief Sewer — formerly identified as the Avery Road Relief Sewer, renamed to reflect a refined alignment that ties into the Glick Road Relief Sewer rather than running toward Avery Road; the change reflects more cost-effective sewer alignment identified through updated modeling. e Muirfield Village Golf Club Sanitary Relief Sewer — projected to mitigate 7 predicted and 2 observed SSOs. e Brand Road Sanitary Relief Sewer — located within the North Fork Indian Run Sewer Shed; would mitigate 4 predicted SSOs and 70 predicted and 3 observed WIBs; also aligned to benefit Utility Extension Areas 6a, 6b, and 6c east of Muirfield Drive and north of Brand Road. e Post Road Sanitary Relief Sewer — within the South Fork Indian Run Sewer Shed; would mitigate 3 predicted SSOs and provide sanitary sewer access for Utility Extension Area 7 along Post Road; also identified as a needed long-term improvement for full build-out of the West Innovation District. e South Riverview Street Sanitary Improvements — rather than a multi-million-dollar relief sewer, staff determined that working directly with approximately five affected residents along this corridor to hydraulically disconnect their service laterals would achieve the same goal of eliminating WIBs at a substantially lower cost. Mr. Hendershot also described two new short-term projects intended to provide interim relief to residents ahead of the broader relief sewer program. The first, the Water and Basement Event Mitigation Program, would proactively reach out to property owners with a history of WIBs and offer city-funded installation of a system combining a check valve with an ejector pump — similar in concept to the backwater valve, but allowing residents to use their facilities during surcharge conditions. The second, the Avery Road Pump Station Project, would serve the Muirfield Village Phase 43 neighborhood near Glassford Court South, where approximately seven homes have predicted WIBs and several have already experienced them. A regional pump station would hydraulically disconnect that cluster of homes from the downstream surcharge condition while still allowing flows to be pumped out during surcharge events. Mr. Hendershot also reviewed the City's ongoing operations and maintenance tools, including a camera van for closed-circuit televising of sewer mains, an Al-powered pipe assessment tool called Pipe Aid, the Sewer Line Rapid Assessment Tool (SLRAT) using sonar to detect blockages, and a combination jetting and vacuum truck for pipe cleaning. Mr. Hendershot provided a summary of the 10th Annual Report on the City's utility extension policy, adopted in late 2015. Since adoption, the City has extended water and sanitary sewer to 10 unserved areas, providing water access to 77 homes and sewer access to 119 homes. Of 196 potential connections, 85 property owners have connected, representing a 43 percent connection rate. Ms. Kramb asked whether the South Riverview Street project, having changed from a relief sewer to a direct property intervention approach, was now a less expensive option. Mr. Hendershot confirmed that it was. Ms. Kramb also sought clarification on the renaming of the Avery Road Council Work Session September 15, 2026 Page 5 of 10 Relief Sewer to the Muirfield Drive Relief Sewer, which Mr. Hendershot confirmed represented the same project with a more accurate name given the refined alignment. Ms. Kramb also asked whether all other listed projects were new to the CIP; Mr. Hendershot clarified that the Glick Road Relief Sewer had been in the CIP for some time as it was closest to the pump station, the Avery Road project had also been listed previously, the Muirfield Village Golf Club Relief Sewer was newer and had been moving from the out-years into the near-term, and the Brand Road and Post Road projects had appeared in the most recent two CIPs in connection with Columbus's transmission main project. Vice Mayor De Rosa raised the question of whether increasing frequency of heavy rain events would create a recurring or escalating maintenance challenge — effectively a "whack-a-mole" situation. Mr. Hendershot responded that the City's smoke testing efforts had not revealed widespread cross-connections with storm sewers, but that wet weather televising of service laterals had revealed substantial I&I entry through deteriorating clay pipe in the private laterals of older neighborhoods. He indicated that lining or rehabilitating those laterals over time would address the ongoing problem, but acknowledged that until that work is substantially complete, the City is likely to see continued or worsening issues in older residential areas. Mr. Hammersmith added that the pilot program results would inform future recommendations, including potentially addressing sump pump connections, which staff suspects are a contributing source. Mayor Amorose Groomes asked whether there were opportunities to utilize infrastructure being constructed for the western boundary of the City — particularly in areas beyond the West Innovation District — to potentially redirect flows and relieve pressure on existing systems rather than simply adding capacity to already-strained infrastructure. Mr. Hendershot confirmed that staff was actively exploring alternatives, including the possibility of coordinating with other jurisdictions serving those areas and looking at potential pump-over solutions to relieve flow to a different drainage basin. Mayor Amorose Groomes expressed a preference for engineering western extensions in a way that provides relief capacity for existing systems rather than incrementally increasing load on infrastructure approaching its operational limits. Ms. Kramb noted concerns about whether homes in areas served through the utility extension policy — particularly older neighborhoods with clay tile — had been properly connected without introducing new I&I sources. Mr. Hammersmith confirmed that all such connections involved new service lines run to the homes, and in many cases, internal replumbing was also required since original soil pipes often exited the rear of homes toward on-site systems. He indicated the opportunity was used to ensure entirely new connections free of extraneous inputs. Mr. Hendershot also noted that the question of who is responsible for private service laterals — identified as a major I&I source — would need to be addressed in future policy discussions. He referenced the City of Columbus and the City of Hilliard as examples of communities that had declared 1&1 a public nuisance through ordinance, granting the City legal authority to access private property to perform rehabilitation work without obtaining individual right-of-entry agreements from each property owner. He indicated this type of policy discussion would likely come before council in the future. Enterprise Fund History and Financial Overview Mr. Rubino provided an overview of the historical financial performance of the sanitary sewer and water utility funds, noting that beginning in 2027, the City would consolidate each system from two funds into one for administrative clarity and improved reporting, consistent with how the utilities are already reported in the City's basic financial statements. Council Work Session September 15, 2026 Page 6 of 10 Sanitary Sewer Fund User charge revenues have averaged $3 million annually over the past five years, supplemented by just over $10 million in debt proceeds. Expenditures have averaged $6.2 million per year, with capital comprising approximately 42 percent of fund spending. A $4.2 million internal advance related to the Manuscript debt transaction in 2024 is being repaid over five years; normalizing for that advance, the fund balance remained stable and healthy, ending last year at approximately $3.7 million — or effectively over $7 million when accounting for the outstanding advance repayments. Water Fund User charge revenues have averaged $1.1 million annually over the past five years, along with $3.8 million in debt proceeds. Expenditures averaged $2.2 million per year, with capital comprising approximately 38 percent. An $11 million internal advance related to the Manuscript debt transaction in 2024 is also being repaid over five years, with the fund balance averaging over $12.5 million when accounting for those repayments. Outstanding Debt The City currently carries $18.3 million in principal for sewer-related projects and $4.9 million for water projects. Debt-funded projects include sewer lining and repairs, utility extensions, sanitary system improvements, waterline extensions, and water towers. The proposed 2027-2031 CIP includes approximately $27.2 million in additional debt-financed sewer projects, which was incorporated into the debt capacity analysis presented at the prior work session. Enterprise Fund Practices and Recommendations Mr. Rubino summarized key enterprise fund policy considerations, noting that while Dublin's utility funds are largely self-supporting through user fees — consistent with best practice for enterprise funds — they have historically received some general capital support, particularly for utility extensions and prior debt service. Staff framed this as a policy question for Council, noting that the City has discretion under Ohio law to continue or modify that practice. Considerations included developing and maintaining a long-term rate plan, refining fund balance targets, and updating the City's debt management policy to include specific parameters for water and sewer debt levels. Mr. Rubino presented a 10-year rate history showing that water rates have remained relatively flat while sewer rates have increased at a compound average of approximately 4.9 percent per year, driven by higher capital and operating demands on the sanitary sewer system. Rate Study Results — Sanitary Sewer Mr. Rowe of Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors presented the findings of the 2026 utility rate study. He framed the study as resting on three pillars: rate revenue, cash reserves, and debt financing — with an additional subsidy component from the CIP Fund Debt Fund. The two overarching objectives of the study were to develop a rate plan that supports the full spending plan and to do so in a manner that provides smooth, moderate, and predictable rate increases over time. For sanitary sewer, the study recommends an annual surcharge increase of 8 percent through 2035, with a 2 percent customer growth assumption and a 3 percent inflationary factor applied to operating costs. For the 2027 budget cycle, this would increase the sewer surcharge from $16.88 per thousand cubic feet (CCF) to $18.23 per CCF. For an average Columbus customer using 535 CCF per month, the total monthly sewer bill would rise from $54.27 to $58.16, an increase of $3.89. Rowe noted that the majority of the projected increase in total bill amounts is attributable to City of Columbus rate increases rather than Dublin's surcharge. Council Work Session September 15, 2026 Page 7 of 10 The study projects a minimum cash reserve floor of $1.4 million throughout the forecast period, with a projected ending fund balance of approximately $3.9 million in 2035 — approximately $2.5 million above that floor. Approximately 84 percent of the sewer capital plan, or $69 million, is projected to be funded by ratepayers under current assumptions. Mr. Rowe presented a breakdown of the sewer CIP by category, distinguishing between utility extensions, economic development sewer extensions, and maintenance of the existing system. For utility extensions, existing ratepayers are projected to fund approximately 25 percent of costs, with the remainder from other sources. For economic development extensions, ratepayers would fund approximately 82 percent, with 18 percent from other sources. For maintenance of existing infrastructure, nearly 100 percent of costs are borne by existing ratepayers. He emphasized the importance of maximizing outside funding sources — such as TIF revenues and developer contributions — to offset ratepayer burden, particularly for economic development-related extensions. The rate model also reflects ongoing CIP Fund Debt contributions of $275,000 per year to the sewer fund, as well as Manuscript debt repayments of approximately $955,000 per year through 2030. Rate Study Results — Water For the water utility, the study recommends a 3 percent annual surcharge increase from 2027 through 2030, increasing to 5 percent annually from 2031 through 2035, with the same 2 percent growth and 3 percent inflation assumptions. For 2027, this would increase the water surcharge from $3.34 per CCF to $3.72 per CCF. The total average monthly water bill would rise from just over $49 to $56.76, an increase of $7.63. Again, Rowe emphasized that the majority of this increase is driven by Columbus's own rate increases rather than Dublin's surcharge adjustment. The water fund's minimum cash reserve floor is also set at $1.4 million, with projected balances staying approximately $3 million above that floor throughout the period. Mr. Rowe noted that the strong cash reserve position in the water fund — partially a result of ongoing Manuscript debt repayments of approximately $2.5 million per year through 2030 — provides an opportunity to leverage existing reserves to keep rate increases modest. Once those repayments cease, the fund begins drawing down reserves, which informed the decision to increase the rate of surcharge growth beginning in 2031. The water fund balance projection also reflects a growing reserve floor, which incorporates approximately $500,000 per year in additional cash set aside for anticipated future waterline replacements, consistent with the City's strategy of building reserves ahead of large-scale infrastructure replacement needs. Rate Comparison and Affordability Mr. Rowe presented a schedule illustrating the composition of the total average monthly water and sewer bill from 2025 through 2035. In 2026, the total combined water and sewer bill is approximately $103 per month. Dublin's surcharge represents approximately $11 of that total — roughly 10 to 11 percent — with the remainder attributable to City of Columbus charges for water, wastewater, and the Clean River storm water charge. The total bill is projected to rise to approximately $155 per month by 2030 and approximately $200 per month by 2035, with Dublin's portion remaining in the 10 percent range throughout. Mr. Rubino noted that Dublin's projected rate increases account for less than 7 percent of the overall projected bill increase over the forecast period, underscoring the relative modesty of the City's contribution to the rising total cost. Council Work Session September 15, 2026 Page 8 of 10 Baker Tilly also presented an affordability analysis comparing Dublin's rates to regional peers using a household burden metric expressed as a percentage of median household income (MHI). For 2025, Dublin's sewer surcharge represents 0.41 percent of MHI and the water surcharge represents 0.37 percent of MHI. Mr. Rowe noted that EPA guidance associated with Combined Sewer Overflow long-term control plans generally considers a sewer bill below 2 percent of MHI to be affordable, and a water bill below 2.5 percent of MHI. Dublin's figures are well within those thresholds. The analysis incorporated three income tiers: median household income (approximately $160,000 for Dublin), the lowest quintile income (approximately $40,000), and poverty-level income (approximately $27,000). Mayor Amorose Groomes requested that staff provide an apples-to-apples affordability comparison with neighboring municipalities, and Mr. Rowe confirmed that data could be provided. She also sought clarification on whether the affordability figures presented reflected only Dublin's surcharge portion or the combined Columbus and Dublin bill; it was confirmed that the figures reflected Dublin's surcharge only, applied on top of Columbus's base charges. Considerations and Rate Plan Summary Mr. Rubino summarized key considerations for Council going forward. The long-range rate plan is intended to demonstrate financial sustainability over a 10-year period, with annual adjustments available based on updated conditions. Final rate recommendations would be submitted for Council approval in October following incorporation of feedback from the current work session. Vice Mayor DeRosa raised a concern regarding the size of the water fund balance relative to identified water CIP projects. Given a projected fund balance growing toward $12.5 million while the proposed water CIP showed only $2 to $3 million in spending in any given year, she questioned whether residents would view rate increases as justified given such a large reserve. Mr. Hendershot explained that inspections of four of the City's five water tanks were underway and that tank improvement projects as well as booster station improvements were anticipated to be brought forward in the next CIP season. Staff acknowledged Vice Mayor De Rosa's point and agreed to include placeholder line items in the water CIP to reflect anticipated tank and booster station expenditures, which would make the rationale for maintaining the reserve balance more transparent to Council and the public without changing the underlying financial analysis. Mr. Rubino confirmed that the annual utility extension allocation — established by Council through prior policy discussions to be funded from the capital improvements tax fund — was reflected in the administrative allocations section of the CIP summary rather than in the body of the utility CIP, consistent with prior practice. Vice Mayor DeRosa raised the question of whether it would be permissible and advantageous to rebalance reserves between the water and sewer funds, given the disparity in balances and needs. Mr. Rubino indicated this would require a review of applicable statutory code to confirm permissibility and would then involve policy deliberation regarding CIP planning and rate-setting implications. Ms. Alutto noted that the Finance Committee had previously discussed the concept and that the policy framework was sufficiently developed to bring that question forward formally. The general consensus was that a holistic look at the two funds — with transparency around how and when reserves would be deployed — would be useful. Regarding the bonds assumed in the rate study, Mr. Rubino and Baker Tilly's team confirmed that general obligation bonds are assumed for sewer projects, with the primary repayment source being sewer fund revenues. There is no structural cost disadvantage compared to other bond structures in this context. Council Work Session September 15, 2026 Page 9 of 10 Proposed 2027-2031 CIP Projects — Utilities Mr. Hendershot presented the utility-related CIP projects proposed for the 2027-2031 period. Sanitary Sewer projects are structured with separate years for design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction, and include: e Annual Sanitary Sewer Maintenance Program (continuation) e Sanitary Sewer Main Lining Program (ongoing, mid-2000s to present) e Deer Run I&I Mitigation Pilot Project and associated Sanitary Sewer I&I Mitigation Program e® Deer Run Wet Weather Sanitary Pump Station (completed 2024) e Glick Road Sanitary Relief Sewer (currently under preliminary design) e Muirfield Drive Sanitary Relief Sewer (formerly Avery Road Relief Sewer) e Muirfield Village Golf Club Sanitary Relief Sewer e Brand Road Sanitary Relief Sewer e South Riverview Street Sanitary Improvements e Water and Basement Event Mitigation Program (new) e Avery Road Pump Station / Glassford Court South area (new) e Utility Extension Area 3a—3c (Riverside Drive area, water component funded through the Riverside East Shared Use Path Extension project) e Utility Extension Area 11a Remainder (one additional property connection along Dublin Road) e Metro Center Revitalization Sanitary Sewer Improvement (extending sanitary capacity from south to north to support area revitalization) @ West Innovation District Cosgray Sanitary Trunk Sewer Extension (extending the trunk sewer from Lauren Drive north to the Cosgray/Shireings Road roundabout and several hundred feet west to serve the South Jewett properties) The Post Road Sanitary Relief Sewer was noted as not included in the five-year CIP but identified as the next project in sequence, anticipated to appear in a future CIP extending into 2032-2034. The Waterline Replacement Program continues in phases 8 and 9, with Phase 8 construction in 2027 and design and acquisition for Phase 9 in 2029-2030. Hendershot noted that water tank inspection results would inform additional water CIP projects anticipated for the next CIP cycle. Council Discussion — CIP Priorities and Policy Direction Mr. Keeler stated that he views the mitigation of sanitary sewer overflows and water and basement events as the highest priority for the City's utility capital program, emphasizing that residents experiencing sewage backup in their homes or being unable to use household facilities for hours at a time is unacceptable. He indicated a preference for prioritizing relief sewer and mitigation projects over additional residential utility extension spending, and expressed that 100 percent of residents should be protected from sewage intrusion while only 43 percent of residents served by extensions have chosen to connect. He indicated support for advancing economic development-related extensions — such as the West Innovation District trunk sewer project — but ranked that as secondary to addressing existing system failures. Council Work Session September 15, 2026 Page 10 of 10 Dr. Lam expressed broad agreement with the overall proposal and its project timing, strongly concurring with the prioritization of sanitary sewer maintenance and mitigation. He noted that he had spoken with residents in Bristol Commons who had experienced backup events and characterized the impact as highly intrusive. He indicated general support for the presented CIP. Vice Mayor DeRosa reiterated her concerns regarding fund balance transparency, noted the importance of addressing resident impacts, and expressed a preference for deploying available water fund reserves toward identified needs rather than allowing large balances to accumulate without clear documentation of future intended use. She also expressed interest in exploring whether the water and sewer fund balances could be consolidated or rebalanced under one fund structure. Ms. Alutto echoed her colleagues' sentiments on health and safety as the top priority. She expressed comfort with the proposed rate increases, noting that the City has the flexibility to conduct another rate study within three years if economic conditions change. She noted that the overall CIP appeared well-balanced. Ms. Kramb agreed that mitigation must be the highest priority and specifically asked whether the Glick Road and Muirfield Drive Relief Sewers — pushed into 2028 and 2029 in the current CIP — could be advanced given the availability of funds. Staff was asked to assess whether those timelines could be shortened. Ms. Kramb also flagged coordination with the City of Columbus's water transmission main project as a scheduling constraint that should be actively managed, and indicated support for spending additional funds or advancing design work if needed to avoid being foreclosed from needed alignments by Columbus's construction schedule. Mr. Hendershot confirmed that extensive coordination had already taken place and would continue. Mayor Amorose Groomes expressed support for pulling mitigation projects forward wherever financially and logistically feasible. She also raised a strategic question about whether infrastructure planned for the western portions of the city could be sized or routed in a way that provides some relief to overburdened eastern and central sewer sheds, rather than simply adding new flows. She suggested that the marginal cost of upsizing a pipe being installed in the West Innovation District would be substantially less than installing separate relief infrastructure later, and urged staff to factor that into the engineering studies currently underway. She noted the importance of maintaining flexibility in the system for future land use changes that may not yet be anticipated. Ms. Kramb noted that the Brand Road and Post Road relief sewers, while tied to Columbus's transmission main schedule, had been included in the prior two CIPs and asked for confirmation that those projects remained on track. Mr. Hendershot confirmed ongoing coordination with Columbus to ensure Dublin's sewer alignments are preserved and that Columbus is being continuously reminded of Dublin's design requirements. There being no further business for discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 8:17 p.m. (ea Presiding Officer - Mayor CSch, Obs Gas of Codncil