Water Providers Considering Consolidation

RISON - The Rison City Council approved a motion Monday night allowing Mayor Charles Roberts to negotiate a possible consolidation of the Rison Water Department with the Cleveland County Rural Water Association. Meanwhile, Kinglsand Mayor Sharon Crosby acknowledged during last Thursday's Kingsland City Council meeting that she has been in discussions with Kingsland's two neighboring water providers, West Saline and Outside Kingsland, about consolidating their services. She noted that it is in the discussion phase only at this time and no decisions have been reached. Roberts said the moves by both Rison and Kingsland are a result of state agencies encouraging the consolidation - or "regionalization" as Roberts put it - of small, rural water providers across the state. While there is no formal deadline as to when that will happen, Roberts said 2026 seems to be the target when a push might begin. "This is not forced," Roberts told the council. "We don't have to do this right now but some day it might be forced on us." While there may be no formal deadline to meet, Roberts said there is the potential that a consolidated service between Rison and Cleveland County Rural Water could receive a $1 million grant through the American Rescue Plan to buy equipment and improve infrastructure. Roberts told the council he would like to have a proposal between Rison and Cleveland County Rural Water ready for the council to consider at the Dec. 5 council meeting. Should a consolidation eventually happen, Roberts said the current rates for Rison and Cleveland County Rural Water would remain the same for each service's customers and not change. "Nothing really changes except we combine forces," Roberts said, referring to the workers that each service currently has. While he said Cleveland County Rural Water is open to the consolidation, Roberts said the primary issue is how the combined utility would be structured, especially in term...