May 5, 2026 Amherst County Service Authority Board Meeting

The Amherst County Service Authority Board held a meeting on May 5, 2026, focusing primarily on financial and operational updates related to water and sewer services. Key procurement-related discussions included the approval to advertise a public hearing for a proposed 3% rate increase on water consumption charges for fiscal year 2027, aimed at maintaining financial stability and supporting capital improvement projects. The board reviewed the current debt obligations, noting a significant reduction from $21 million to $8.9 million, and discussed ongoing and planned capital projects such as the Route 130 and Route 210 waterline designs, an automatic meter infrastructure upgrade covering all meters, and a bank stabilization project nearing completion. The board also addressed challenges with internet outages affecting office operations and considered moving to a cloud-based server to improve service resilience. Additionally, the board discussed the importance of maintaining adequate cash reserves, exploring external funding opportunities, and ensuring affordability for customers. A motion to approve advertising the rate adjustment public hearing was passed unanimously.