Agenda Packets - 2007/06/04 - Laserfiche WebLink

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·Year 2002 29 MIU related repairs (started MXU battery changeover) ·Year 2003 106 MIU related repairs ·Year 2004 184 MIU related repairs ·Year 2005 Misplaced in move (approx. 150) ·Year 2006 103 MIU related repairs This is, approximately 1400 MIU related repairs, in 11 years. These repairs are typically related to broken wires, (phone and meter wires) disconnected phone lines, (residents going to a cell phone only) and shorted out phone connections and bad MIU units themselves. In the past, staff has been able to repair enough malfunctioning MIU accounts to keep the “malfunctioning repair list” from growing at an accelerated rate. However in the last three quarters, the list has gone from 200 malfunctioning accounts, to 450 malfunctioning accounts to 930 malfunctioning accounts to now with some repairs 850 malfunctioning accounts, out of 2300 total MIU accounts. Utility Billing is spending an extra 20 hours a week working on the adjustable sewer rate. This has started with the end of the first quarter of 2007 reads. Staff has been in contact with Invensys Metering Systems, the manufacturer of the MIU system to find out if there was something that they know of which would be causing these problems, but were unable to come up with any solutions. Staff has also had the City phone lines check by Qwest and Popp Communication to see if it is possible that it is a phone line or modem related problem, and there were no problems found. All of the settings on the modem, and in the MIU software have been checked and re-checked for proper settings, and no problems or inconsistencies have been found. This leads staff to believe that it is a wholesale failure of the MIU system in some capacity. Additionally, according to the Star Tribune March 3rd 2007 issue, “About one in eight homes did not have a land-line telephone in the first half of 2006, according to a national government survey. Three years earlier, it was about one in 20.” Further Discussion: There are three viable solutions: 1. Continue to take the current approach and buy small quantities of radio read readers at a cost of approximately $100.00 each. This course of action will be the cheapest for this year, but will cost the City more by the end of the replacement process for the readers. It will also take a very long time because of the slow process of getting into houses. It would probably take two to three years to complete the process. This process will effect both Public Works, and Utility Billing with extended phone complaints and adjustments. 2. Go out and get competitive bids with all radio read suppliers who wish to bid. The approximate price for a large purchase of 900 to 1000 units would be between $85 and $90 per unit. 900 to 1000 units would only be enough to replace the current failed phone read system. Staff, in