Amarillo City Council Regular Meeting 10/27/26

Amarillo City Council regular meeting, October 27, 2026. The council focused extensively on complaints about abnormal water bills following the utility billing system rollout. Members discussed a proposed temporary customer-relief fund of up to $500,000, proactive review of all customer accounts for unexplained usage spikes, and a dispute process that would waive late fees and prevent service disconnections while claims are investigated. These were discussed as directions for staff to develop; the transcript does not show a formal vote appropriating the fund. The rate study remains paused while billing issues are reviewed, and staff recommended no additional rate changes beyond those already approved. Council also discussed selecting a forensic audit firm or firms: an RFQ drew 13 responses, three firms were interviewed, and the audit committee was asked to return with recommendations for council interviews; no audit contract was awarded at this meeting.

On purchasing and infrastructure, council approved the fleet-parts item for Napa, the city’s in-house supplier, under a not-to-exceed amount of $3.3 million per year. It also approved the River Road flow-control-valve purchase and associated CIP transfer, reported in the transcript as approximately $318,000, for aging valves that support reuse-water delivery to the XL pump station. A resolution opposing SPS’s proposed electric-service rule changes for large customers, including data centers, passed; the stated concern was ensuring those customers bear the costs of related infrastructure rather than shifting risk to existing customers. Council also reviewed proposed state and federal legislative priorities, including opposition to increased energy-code mandates, but the final agenda resolution was not acted on in the excerpt.