HomeMy WebLinkAbout#04 - AMI Antenna Installation STAFF REPORT
DATE: 4/2/2024
CONSENT
TO: City Council
FROM: Marty Powers, Public Works Director
AGENDA ITEM: Advanced Metering Infrastructure Antenna Installation
REVIEWED BY: Clark Schroeder Interim City Administrator
Clarissa Hadler, Finance Director
BACKGROUND: Currently Public Works Staff uses a truck mounted receiver and drives by each utility
customer’s property to collect water usage data from all water meters. This occurs when doing quarterly
reading of all utility customers, as well as every time there is a change of ownership (move in or move
outs), and when issues arise (failing batteries, meter tampering, suspected leaks, etc.). The City’s Utility
Department then downloads the readings to create bills, set up accounts, trouble shoot issues, or when
dealing with discrepancies, etc.
Public Works has been updating water meters over the last 7 years, working towards the goal of having
all city water meters updated so water usage data can be collected automatically through an AMI
(Advanced Metering Infrastructure) system. With a lack of snow this season, and the availability of water
meters improving, Public Works has been able to complete the meter change out program ahead of
schedule and is now ready to install the AMI antennas. Having the capability of reading meters from the
Utility Office at any time will not only eliminate the need for staff to drive the city to collect readings, but
will quickly inform the utility department when leaks are occurring, property owners are not abiding by
irrigation restrictions, when meters fail, or if they are tampered with. Having immediate remote access to
this water data will not only reduce public works staff time for collecting meter reads, but more
importantly will help staff and residents reduce water loss and improve water conservation. Having this
data could also assist staff if the need to change irrigation zone boundaries is considered.
At this time three antennas are being proposed on water towers 2, 3 & 4. Tower 1 on Langley Ave is in
the planning stages to be decommissioned in 2025 and will not receive an AMI antenna. Should a fourth
antenna be needed to communicate with the north east corner of the city, staff we continue to look to add
a monopole for communication leases and the AMI system in that area as initially planned.
ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL: Should the City Council approve the purchase and installation of the three
AMI antennas, implementation, training and setup fees to assist in collecting water usage as outlined in the
2026 Capital Improvement Plan?
PROPOSAL DETAILS/ANALYSIS: Proceeding with this purchase will benefit the city and its citizens
by having on-demand water data. The improved efficiencies will reduce Public Works staff time, fuel and
will free up a vehicle when routinely collecting water data. This purchase will also aid the City in its water
conservation efforts.
FISCAL IMPACT: Purchase and installation of the three AMI antennas, set up, training and the first
annual fee subscription for the system would be funded from the utility enterprise account and shall not
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exceed the budgeted $325,000 in the 2026 CIP. Annual fees after the first year will be around $18,000 over
the first five years. Core and Main is a single source provider for this sensus metering equipment,
documents attached. Customer access portals are an addition $31,000 for set up and installation the first
year, then an additional $11,000 approximately each year after that. The Customer Portal option is not
included in this initial council request.
OPTIONS:
-Approve purchase & installation of the three AMI antennas along with costs for the initial system setup,
training, and integration as outlined in the 2026 CIP from Core & Main
-Deny purchase of the AMI system at this time
RECOMMENDATION: If removed from consent agenda…..
“Motion to approve the purchase and installation of the three AMI antennas and system set up, training
and integration for an amount not to exceed $325,000 from Core and Main”
ATTACHMENTS:
• Core & Main AMI Antenna Quote
• Core & Main Annual fees for all set up, integration and training
• Sensus Sole Source Letter-Core & Main
Seq#Qty Descrip on Units Price Ext Price
10 3 M400B2 BASE STATION 200KHZ PCS EA 34,200.00 102,600.00
20 3 TGB M400 INSTALLATION EA 40,800.00 122,400.00
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED HEREIN, PRICES QUOTED ARE VALID IF ACCEPTED BY CUSTOMER AND PRODUCTS ARE RELEASED BYCUSTOMER FOR MANUFACTURE WITHIN THIRTY (30) CALENDAR DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS QUOTATION. CORE & MAIN LPRESERVES THE RIGHT TO INCREASE PRICES TO ADDRESS FACTORS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS,TARIFFS, TRANSPORTATION, FUEL AND RAW MATERIAL COSTS. DELIVERY WILL COMMENCE BASED UPON MANUFACTURER LEADTIMES. ANY MATERIAL DELIVERIES DELAYED BEYOND MANUFACTURER LEAD TIMES MAY BE SUBJECT TO PRICE INCREASES AND/ORAPPLICABLE STORAGE FEES. THIS BID PROPOSAL IS CONTINGENT UPON BUYER’S ACCEPTANCE OF SELLER’S TERMS ANDCONDITIONS OF SALE, AS MODIFIED FROM TIME TO TIME, WHICH CAN BE FOUND AT: h ps://coreandmain.com/TandC/
02/14/2024 - 7:55 AM Actual taxes may vary Page 1 of 1
CITY OF LAKE ELMO
Job Loca on: Lake Elmo, MN
Bid Date: 02/14/2024
Core & Main 3366839
Core & Main
15800 W 79th St
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
Phone: 9529379666
Fax: 9529378065
Bid Proposal for Lake Elmo Base Sta ons/Installs
Yearly Fees
Jim Grillo
Sensus USA, Inc
Mid -West Director of Sales
612-867-3283
jim.grillo @xylem.com
March 19, 2024
To Whom It May Concern:
Sensus, a Xylem brand is pleased to announce that Core & Main – Minnesota is the
exclusive Authorized Distrib utor of Sensus products and a Value Added Reseller (VAR)
for Sensus Services such as SaaS in your area in the state of Minnesota.
Please contact your Core & Main representative for all of your Sensus needs.
Purchasing Sensus products and services from the authorized distributor for your area
ensures that your products will be properly supported and warranted.
We look forward to the opportunity of providing your firm with quality water
measurement equipment and support in the near future. Please feel free to contact me
at jim.grillo@xylem.com regarding this or any other matter.
Sincerely
James C. Grillo
Mid-West Director of Sales
Sensus USA, Inc