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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — JULY 19, 2021 7 Mayor Grant asked if the Council could support the $13,000 expenditure. The Council supported this expense. Mayor Grant commented staff brought up another project the Council will have to consider, which will be the replacement of all of the City's water meters. He noted the batteries were reaching the end of their useful life. He reported the cost to replace the batteries was around $1 to $1.2 million. He explained this was a project the City would have to begin planning for. Councilmember Holmes asked if the water meters were replaced 20 years ago. Finance Director Bauman explained the transmitters were replaced in 2012 or 2013 and the meters were more than 15 years old. Mayor Grant reported he has been on the City Council for 20 years and he does not recall doing the meters under Dennis Probst. He anticipated the meters were 16+ years old. Councilmember Holden suggested staff speak with Badger Meters. Councilmember Holmes supported the City putting aside a portion of the Federal dollars for this project. Mayor Grant requested staff investigate the age of the existing meters and report back to the Council at a future meeting. D1. Park Benches Mayor Grant discussed a park bench situation at Crepeau Park that involved Rich Straumann and the insurance agent at State Farm. He explained he received an email from the PTRC Chair John Van Valkenburg stating the bench should be installed at Crepeau Park and it had to mention Dan Messerli. Councilmember Holmes commented further on the park bench application. She reported the application states City staff should be contacting the applicant on where the bench should be located. Mayor Grant discussed the proposed park bench location and asked if this new bench would be replacing a deteriorated bench. He was of the opinion the proposed park bench location was not a good spot. He commented further on how upset the PTRC Chair and Rich Straumann were about this situation. Interim Public Works Director Swearingen stated the bench for Dan Reichert had been assembled but not installed. He noted another bench would have to be ordered for Dan Messerli. Councilmember Holden indicated a request has been made for an additional park bench for Crepeau Park in memory of Dan Messerli. She believed that whoever paid for the bench should have the right to select a placement for the bench.