By Martin Couch
Bryant Mayor Jill Dabbs will ask the Bryant City Council to approve an AMI meter system project[more] in an upcoming meeting. It would, she asserts, solve reading problems for meter readers with going house to house.
Dabbs said the project has three major benefits. It will streamline the process for reading meters, saving labor costs; it will have a lower rate of error; and it will provide a better service to Bryant water customers.
"Technology is now available that allows the meters to be read remotely by a computer eliminating the need to have multiple meter readers going house to house," Dabbs said. "This saves in labor costs and removing human error."
The Mayor added that water customers will be able to monitor their water usage online and can sign up to be notified within 24 hours if the system detects a leak.
"As opposed to being made aware after 30 days when the bill arrives," Dabbs said.
The cost to implement the AMI meter project will be recouped within three to five years, she said, adding that the cost of the AMI meters are $10 less than the meters being purchased by the city.
Another issue that Dabbs is considering is the Parks Department gas usage and price.
"The Center (at Bishop Park) is qualified for bulk rate pricing on our utility gas usage due to our volume," she explained. "In order to take advantage of these savings, we must spend approximately $13,500 to merge our two meters into one. Had this been available to us last year, it would have saved us approximately $12,000."
Dabbs asserted that the meters will be an ongoing savings to the Parks’ operating budget year after year.
"Simple math and common sense prevails," she said.
