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CONSIDERATION OF AUTHORIZATION FOR THE PURCHASE OF HAND-HELD METER READING EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE CURRENT UTILITY BILLING SYSTEMS FROM BADGER METER SERVICES IN THE AMOUNT OF $121,660 FOR THE METER SERVICES SECTION OF THE UTILITY CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVISION.
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BACKGROUND: On January 24, 2006, the Council approved Contract K-0506-107 with the Radix Corporation for Meter Reading Equipment and software. This equipment is used by the field personnel of the Meter Services Section of the Utility Customer Service Division to collect monthly cyclical readings of the over 40,000 meters throughout the City’s water service area.
DISCUSSION: The current handheld meter reading equipment and software has become outdated and is incompatible with the current utility billing system employed by the Water and Water Reclamation Utility Enterprises. The City Utilities planned for a holistic replacement of all of the meters and software in a turnkey project that is still in planning stages. It has become necessary, however, to replace the handheld meter reading devices and software interfaces in the near term, in order to continue utility billing services.
A quotation in the amount of $121,660 was provided by Badger Meter Services of San Marcos, Texas, which is the sole source provider for meter reading devices and software compatible with our current utility billing systems (see attached contract Quote), for this equipment and software. The City Code, Section 8-204.B.2, provides an exception to competitive bidding requirements for purchases of goods and services that can only be provided by a single vendor.
Funds for the purchase of the Meter Reading Equipment and Software are available in the Water Fund, Water Meter GPS Systems, Materials (Account 31993395-46301; Project WA0021).
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the contract for purchase of Water Meter Reading Equipment and software be approved.