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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—March 28, 2011 14 7.F. Resolution 2011-019: Award 2011 Sanitary Sewer Lining Project to Instuform Technologies, USA, Inc. of Chesterfield, Missouri, in the Amount of $399,444.50 (continued) Proicct to Instuform Technologies, USA, Inc. of Chesterfield, Missouri in the Amount of$399,444.50. The motion carried unanimously (4-0). G. Consider Purchase of Water Meter Readers Public Works Director Maurer stated the City's commercial/industrial water meters and readers were replaced in 1997/1998 and the residential water meters and readers in 2001. The meter readers were expected to have a 10-11 year life, which is currently at its end. The batteries are starting to fail and technology has changed so much it is hard to get replacement batteries or parts. The current system is a remote reading system whereby a Public Works staff member simply drives the street with an electronic handheld reader which remotely reads the meters. The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) has an item starting in 2011 and running through 2014 to replace all meter readers. Staff recommends a Badger Galaxy System that allows remote reading from a computer screen. When the change-out of meters is complete, meters will be read from a computer in the Finance Department. There will no longer be a need for a Public Works staff to spend 2-3 days a month reading meters. Staff is recommending purchase of the Badger Galaxy Fixed Network Collector Package, which consists of an antenna located on the water tower, computer software and installation, technical support, cellular backhaul, and 50 meter readers. In addition, Staff recommends purchase of enough commercial/industrial meter readers to change out all of those in 2011 with City Staff. With the remaining funds, Staff would purchase approximately 50 residential meter readers. These would be used to change out any failed meter readers and/or combine sump pump inspections with meter reader change-outs. This system has an annual fee of$2,450 for technical support, software updates, and maintenance of the cellular backhaul. This annual fee begins the year after the initial purchase of the system. Mayor Grant clarified the Badger System being proposed would not be able to read the meters currently used by residents. Public Works Director Maurer stated there would be a transition period until all the meter readers could be replaced. Mayor Grant stated the alternative would be to purchase the batteries that the current readers use and replace them as they fail. Public Works Director Maurer stated the City has not had a mass failure, but the batteries are hard to find. The City has a few on hand but not enough to cover a large number of failures at one time. If the City was able to find the correct batteries, they could continue to replace the batteries as required. He had been told that the meter reader life for those currently used by the City was approximately 10-11 years and the City is nearing the end of the life cycle for those readers. If the City wants to keep the current system then a large supply of batteries would be required. The technology and service of these readers is no longer supported. Mayor Grant asked if Staff has looked for a source of batteries.