CCP 04-19-1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. .' e e e Memorandum, Residential Water Meter Replacement Page Three April15, 1999 I. Currently, it costs the City an average of240 man hours at $25.82 per hour (including overhead and benefits), or $6,200 per quarter to read the residential water meters. Staff estimates this time would be reduced to 16 man hours at $25.82 per hour, or $415 per quarter, resulting in a savings of $5,800 per quarter. This would also provide an estimated 224 man-hours per quarter for Public Works employees to perform higher-skilled jobs that the City needs to accomplish, and is not currently able to perform due to time and man power constraints. 2. Currently, during each quarterly reading process, approximately forty (40) meters (1.5%) are identified for accuracy problems. These could consist of misreads (obvious readings registering too high or too low); no readings or meters stopped; damage to remote reader, etc. In each case, a return visit is required and, in many cases, appointments need to be made to access the actual meter and verify the accuracy of the remote reader. This often results in another 40 man-hours per quarter for this effort. 3. The radio read system interrogates the meter directly, and does not go through a remote mounted system. Thus, if the meter is operating, accuracy is not an issue, 4. The City performs an average of twelve (12) final reads per month. (Finals are required when property ownership is transferred on or close to the closing date). At the time of a final read, an appointment is also needed to enter the residence and read the actual meter, as often the meter and the remote reader are not in sync. If this is the case, the meter itself, the remote reader or both may need replacement. Recommendation Having considered the various options, costs and benefits, staff recommends the following: I. The City initiate a contract to replace water meters in the southern half of the City with new radio read models in 1999-2000, AJ!, an alternate to that contract, a bid would be taken to replace the north half of the City with radio read meters in the year 2000-2001. This may reflect some savings to the City. 2. Included with the initial (southern) replacement, the City should provide radio read meters to the Pemtom Townhouse Association for installation by their plumbers. (The Pemtom Association plans on residing all the townhouses this year, and prefers not to drill holes in the new siding to mount old style remote readers on a temporary basis.