Increasing prices of supplies are affecting the city budget, with the Abilene City Council on Thursday to consider a resolution to pay more for water plant chemicals than originally approved.

The council also will consider a resolution to approve a price increase for work on the Festival Park District next to the downtown hotel under construction. 

The council will convene at 8:30 a.m. Thursday at the Abilene Public Library branch in the Mall of Abilene, 4310 Buffalo Gap Road.

The council's chambers at City Hall are undergoing renovations.

For the water and wastewater treatment plants, the vendor was not able to supply the alum and liquid ammonium sulfate at the original contract price approved in September, said Rodney Taylor, water utilities director, during a media briefing Monday. 

"So we rebid those and this is the awarding of those three bids," Taylor said. "There is a significant increase in the unit costs for each of these chemicals."

The combined price increase for the two chemicals is $134,270. 

Any contract change order price increase higher than $50,000 must go before the council for approval, City Manager Robert Hanna said..

He expects to see more proposed change of order contracts in the future because of the increase in the price of fuel and other commodities. 

City staff is working to curtail cost increases, Hanna said, "but at some point in time, the vendors can't supply it without taking a loss. And, obviouslym they are not going to do that."

The council also will consider a change order worth $275,418 for design fees and demolition work of an area at Sixth and Cypress streets to make way for the Festival Park District. 

"These funds are outside the hotel funds, but we're asking council to approve the change order that will start the design work and ultimate construction of that component of the hotel project," Hanna said. 

The district wouldl connect the hotel to the Abilene Convention Center and be designed as a gathering spot and site for concerts, festivals and other events. 

Other items on the council's Thursday agenda include:

► Consider approval of an application and permit for an oil and/or gas drill on city land at 4242 East Lake Road, near the Northeast Water Treatment Plant. City staff is recommending approval of the proposal after taking extra time in the review process for the proposed drill. 

► Review and take action on the Abilene Zoo's 10-year master plan. The proposal includes developing 22 acres on the back side of the property to add exhibits and other amenities to improvement visitors' experience.

"We are hoping to find private dollars to do some of this stuff," Hanna said about the proposed zoo upgrades.

Consideration of potential costs and possible private donations in support of the zoo expansion also will be considered in executive session, Hanna said. 

Laura Gutschke is a general assignment reporter and food columnist and manages online content for the Reporter-News.  If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com.