Utility billing director Josie Bolden outlined a three-part modernization plan — new CIS Infinity billing software with a targeted Dec. 7 go-live, a payment‑processing RFP that closed the day of the meeting, and a January 2027 customer‑contact‑center vendor selection.

Water Resources Manager William Schneider told the Public Works & Utilities Committee that the San Juan‑Chama Return Flow Project is near the end of permitting, but the U.S. Forest Service has asked to delay the environmental assessment for additional consultation — a step Schneider said could push the schedule by about three months.

The Public Works and Utilities Committee approved its consent agenda (which included an ordinance to raise water rates) and heard Director Jesse Roach explain a proposed phased rate increase over five years and a move from a seasonal two‑tier to a fixed three‑tier structure that would take effect Jan. 2027 after new billing software is implemented.