Feb 10, 2012

Jeff Landon

Council debates use of remote meter readers

Posted: Thursday, February 9, 2012 10:57 am

REGGIE ALLISON, STAFF REPORTER

Circleville Herald

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CIRCLEVILLE – In an otherwise routine city council meeting
Tuesday, a discussion of radio reading meters for public utilities
took the forefront in an attempt to resolve an issue that arose
under the previous city administration.

The meters act as a remote attachment for water usage meters
that can capture usage information from the street, thereby
potentially saving time and money for meter readers on the job.

“It’s a time-saver program we began last year,” said John
Ankrom, director of Public Services and Utilities. “I think it’s a
potentially good idea, but it’s also expensive to purchase and
install, so I recommended to council that, until further review can
be done on the program, we pay the expenses we owe for the initial
units and wait to see what we want to do with the other units we
already ordered.”

Ankrom said the City of Circleville already has one set of
units, priced at $24,000 for the entire set. The bill for this
initial set needs to be paid and the units tested and reviewed
before he and the city will determine if they wish to continue
purchase on the other two sets of units (one which the city already
has in storage, the other the supplier still has in their
warehouse), or if they will bow out and pay a restocking fee of
$7,250 per set.

“As I see it, there are two issues here,” said Ankrom.
“Correcting wrongs that occurred in 2011 by not paying these bills,
and doing due diligence on the issue at hand by deciding if we want
to keep and use the other units. It might even be possible to avoid
the restocking charge if we agree to deal with these suppliers in
future transactions. If we pay the $24,000 and we do end up having
to pay the restocking fees, we’re looking at a total bill of
$38,500.”

Mike Logan, city councilman, said he wished to point out
specifically that this problem did not occur under the current city
administration; rather, it happened last year under the previous
administration.

A decision on the meters will be determined at a later date.

Another ordinance addressed by council granted authority to city
administration to apply for and accept FY 2012 CDBG Formula Funds
from the State of Ohio. According to Dorcas Morrow, this ordinance
standard annual ordinance relates to roads and target areas and
provides $70,000 to use toward road repair and upkeep.

A resolution also was passed authorizing the Pickaway County
chapter of the American Red Cross to use downtown streets from 4
p.m. July 27 to 5 p.m. July 28 for its annual 3-on-3 basketball
tournament.

Another resolution was passed authorizing the city to submit an
application for Community Development Block Grant Funds. Morrow
said this application is for homeless money and down-payment
assistance funds in the amount of $500,000. This application must
be submitted to the state no later than April 2.

Three ordinances were also passed which originated in the
finance committee. The first was an ordinance amending section
191.16 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Circleville
relating to the allocation of funds deposited in the Income Tax
Revenue Fund.

“This ordinance concerns the 1.5 percent tax revenue,” said
Justinger. “Half a percentage of that 1.5 percent is still going to
safety forces; that’s not changing. The other one percent is being
split 60-40, with 60 percent going to the General Fund and 40
percent going to the Capital Fund. This will only be in effect for
the 2012 calendar year.”

The second was referred to as a “housekeeping ordinance,” with
results benefiting re-appropriation of grant money into appropriate
account, cleaning small balance funds, and funding the utility
director.

The last ordinance of the evening authorized the cooperative
agreement for planning of the city’s 2011 WTP Improvements Filter
Rehabilitation Project between the city and the Ohio Water
Development Authority. This ordinance allows the mayor and city
auditor to enter into a contract with the Ohio Water Development
Authority in order to discuss and obtain funding to pay for the new
filters which are required as part of the Waste Water Plant.

Council retreated to executive session for the remainder of
Tuesday’s meeting.

The Long Range Strategic Planning Committee will met at 7
p.m. Wednesday; the Safety Committee will meet at 7 p.m. Feb. 14;
the Judicial Committee will meet at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14; the Finance
Committee will meet at 7 p.m. Feb. 28; and the Service Committee
will meet at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28.

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Council debates use of remote meter readers

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