Title
CONSIDERATION AND AWARDING OF BID NO. 1213-93 FOR THE PURCHASE OF WATER METERS FOR THE LINE MAINTENANCE DIVISION.
Body
BACKGROUND: On June 27, 2013 bids were opened on Bid No. 1213-93 for local register water meters for the Utilities Line Maintenance Division. Funds have been budgeted in the FYE14 budget for these purchases.
In FYE86 a committee comprised of Public Works staff and Division staff recommended standardizing specifications for turbine, compound and residential cold water meters due to the increasing costs associated with the difficulty in obtaining, inventorying repair parts, and purchasing water meters. The committee recommended acceptance of only Badger, Neptune and Sensus Technologies water meters in the annual cold water meter contract. This option allowed the Division to purchase and implement radio-read meter technology where practical. Local read meters must be physically read by a person. Radio read meters can be read by a receiving computer in a vehicle as you drive by each meter.
Although the radio-read meter technology has proven to be cost-effective for certain installations for the Meter Services section, the cost difference between local read registers and radio-read registers is substantial (approximately $100.00 per meter).
Water Meters that have been installed over the past five years are as follows:
FYE09 - 719 local read water meters ranging in size from ¾ to 2 and 546 radio-read water meters.
FYE10 - 648 local read register water meters and 400 radio-read water meters
FYE 11 - 514 local read register water meters and 400 radio-read water meters
FYE12 - 248 local read register meters and 416 radio-read water meters
FYE13 - 869 local read register water meters and 413 radio-read water meters.
DISCUSSION: Proposals were sent to four (4) suppliers who manufacture water meters meeting City of Norman specifications with three (3) responses. The bid provides for the purchase, on an as needed basis, of approximately 800 residential cold water meters beginning in FYE14; this also allows for purchase of small quantities of large size water meters. Bid prices increased on an average of 8% over the current contract amounts approved in FYE11, due to increased costs associated with enviro brass and copper used in the manufacture of water meters.
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that Bid No. 1213-93 be awarded to Badger Meter, Inc. and to HD Supply Waterworks, Inc. as the lowest and best bidders meeting specifications. Funds are available in Maintenance Supplies Meter Sets/Repairs (account 031-5551-462.32-18; balance for FYE14 $178,859)