BPU to meet Wednesday

Update: The two closed, executive sessions have been removed from the agenda.

The Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Public Utilities will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3.

The virtual meeting will be conducted by telephone and internet. To reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19, the BPU facilities have been closed to the public.

On the agenda will be a time for public comments, general manager and staff reports, a COVID-19 update, setting a hearing date on a Kansas Department of Health and Environment resolution, utility bill pay options, miscellaneous comments, board comments, a closed, executive session on personnel and a closed, executive session on labor.

The KDHE resolution concerns a loan of up to $25 million from the state to replace the Argentine Reservoir at a cost of about $10 million, to replace aging distribution mains at a cost of $9 million, to build a transmission main from 90th and Parallel to I-435 and France Family Drive at an estimated $2 million, to do electrical improvements at Nearman Water Treatment Plant and pumping stations for about $1.5 million and to replace a 24-inch main at 12th and the Kansas River at an estimated $2.5 million.

The proposed public hearing date on the loan resolution is at 6 p.m. March 17.

The public may access the meeting through the telephone or through the internet.

On the internet, the Zoom meeting will be at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84523139724.

Or, by telephone, the public may call a toll-free number, 1-888-475-4499, meeting ID 845 2313 9724.

The board meeting information packet, is at https://www.bpu.com/Portals/0/pdf/board-information-packet-2-3-21.pdf.

Members of the community who wish to speak to the board must be logged in to the Zoom meeting via the internet using their browser or the Zoom application. Members of the public will be asked to raise their hand to signal they wish to address the board.

During the public comment section of the agenda, community members will be asked to provide their name and address and will then have 5 minutes to speak.

Members of the public may click on the “raise hand” feature at the bottom of the application to be recognized to speak, or may press *9 if connected by phone only.