[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6326196,"mediaKeyId","2325464-cfff2d9172120fef2faa5c57653d3e2c","parentId",2325464,"title","UPC accepts minutes, recommends Stantec for next rate calculation and approves consultant payments","audioSeconds",3258,"startMs",209000,"endMs",3467000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2325464-cfff2d9172120fef2faa5c57653d3e2c&start=209&end=3467","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2325464-cfff2d9172120fef2faa5c57653d3e2c/thumbnail_209000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6326196/Kalamazoo-City/Kalamazoo-County/Michigan/UPC-accepts-minutes-recommends-Stantec-for-next-rate-calculation-and-approves-consultant-payments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326196-b5b0c5082f8486f7623865724dac7412/orig.mp4?Expires=1773180425&Signature=N2-v3AELpRQYuV5vC3iO7E4t2oGCyZKZn9B7hREsuhUXQNw1c9n391qeFk5WMyju8k3minZWrrC-43AhUMz7-aJR67dVbTUD3MY6ntC2gaa7VcE2W-owhFPO-kLxfWm9j5abxHmBBYlcZ2ZhadZmcyRlp~QJyD~MnMDdNDNT8iydWQCW1P0e3~VQr0miwPslu82BvltUSde87mCQszsohezPFxpJGFVFJ4aInfeaY5hf4wwyi851UTWLk4uJsyR9ydn6JNELFP6MhVoccHyjwiRekfdEhLTWVz7GKfvDWVWF3FBPPPotWsdRhtzvkKvyEFarIxbIMhUwGVQbWMzSvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Kalamazoo","date","2025-02-13T00:00:00Z","article","The Utility Policy Committee opened the Feb. 13 meeting by approving the Jan. 9, 2025 minutes and later voted to recommend that the City Commission approve a one-year proposal from Stantec for the 2025 rate study that will inform 2026 rates.

City staff told the committee Stantec’s proposal is roughly $109,000, down from about $117,000 in the prior-year proposal. The UPC’s role is to review and recommend; due to the dollar amount the formal contract award will be made by the City Commission. Committee members voted in favor of recommending that the City Commission enter a contract with Stantec to perform the rate calculation work for 2025 to inform 2026 rates; staff said the item will likely appear on a March City Commission agenda.

The committee also approved payment of consultant invoices during the meeting. Committee motions were made and approved to pay several invoices; the meeting record includes motions approving consultant payments but does not provide fully clear itemized amounts for every invoice in the public transcript. The UPC chair called for the ayes and the motions carried.

Votes at a glance
- Acceptance of Jan. 9, 2025 UPC minutes — motion moved and supported; outcome: approved.
- Recommendation to City Commission to accept Stantec proposal for 2025 rate calculation (for 2026 rates) — motion moved; outcome: approved (to be forwarded to City Commission for contract award). Stantec proposal amount discussed: approximately $109,000; prior-year proposal cited at about $117,000.
- Approval of consultant invoice payments — motions moved and supported; outcome: approved. (Individual invoice amounts not fully specified in the audio transcript.)

Ending: Staff said it will notify the UPC when the item is scheduled on the City Commission agenda in March.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","February 13, 2025 Utility Policy Committee Meeting ","oneSentenceSummary","The Utility Policy Committee approved the Jan. 9 minutes, recommended the City Commission authorize Stantec to perform the 2025 study for 2026 rates and approved payment requests to several consultants; the Stantec proposal was reported at about $109,000.","taxTitle","Kalamazoo City, Kalamazoo County, Michigan","taxId",3977,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6326201,"UPC reviews neighborhood policy draft adding mandatory-connection language to advisory petitions",224,251000,475000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2325464-cfff2d9172120fef2faa5c57653d3e2c&start=251&end=475","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2325464-cfff2d9172120fef2faa5c57653d3e2c/thumbnail_251000.jpg","/articles/6326201/Kalamazoo-City/Kalamazoo-County/Michigan/UPC-reviews-neighborhood-policy-draft-adding-mandatory-connection-language-to-advisory-petitions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326201-7dfd0851b2a1664ccc6e3db526d0fdbf/orig.mp4?Expires=1773180425&Signature=fH1g7jbSu0jySE6HAR6vM5XBFWpeVmIOodRuBlw~-8ETbcIo0bPEfsEDKMMHzGCx4~sUhHkgWmfyG0uR0WULYUGOGjAXk6ZbnDMgDI6v9u8h7FCzhpmWVshTku~DYfZb6fHB45jgBpeTdMOvk9m8S3SBVwqrWBTaWYLYJBrx~NcqydpSYrisV37aGHMSi45bDl7z-DbXocCs0dkWUhk~qAvJmYBhf7BZ2-VWewSOCSwhXqYZffnU6502CmwEBJp964QxkdGd0tRvPEJr-NXwDWpFshWcQgF0~c6ZShU1IlUJaUvO9bUWp51hwbjBpB5-Kho40uwWngPIBFUYlf5l9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the City of Kalamazoo Utility Policy Committee on Feb. 13 discussed proposed changes to the neighborhood policy and an advisory petition template that would indicate whether townships are willing to adopt district-by-district mandatory connection ordinances.

A committee representative summarized changes the neighborhood-policy subgroup recommended for inclusion in the packet. The draft would require that advisory petition materials include: a map of the proposed project area, an estimate of overall project cost, and an estimate of the homeowner’s cost to make the physical service connection. Committee members said including those details would ensure homeowners are entering a project \"eyes wide open.\" Staff noted the estimate for homeowner-side physical connection work is roughly $6,000 now and may rise to about $6,500, and the neighborhood-policy draft listed about $7,000 as a working figure for homeowner costs when other fees are included.

The draft also conditions adoption on township willingness to adopt a mandatory-connection ordinance on a district-by-district basis; staff said that requirement recognizes that most townships do not have mandatory connection ordinances and that the legal and political work to adopt such ordinances would occur at the township level. The committee was told that only two townships discussed in the meeting currently have mandatory connection ordinances (as stated in the packet), and that other townships would need ordinance work and legal review before a mandatory-connection requirement could apply.

Committee discussion focused on clarifying language about whether the draft requires township-wide or district-by-district adoption, and on identifying where payment-over-time language (36-month payment option) applies and whether that is a city-level program. Staff said the neighborhood-policy group will present the language to the regional commission and, with regional commission support, bring the policy back to the UPC for adoption at the March meeting.

Ending: No formal action was taken during the Feb. 13 meeting; staff will pursue regional-commission feedback and return the revised language for UPC consideration in March.","The Utility Policy Committee's neighborhood-policy subgroup drafted language requiring advisory petitions to include whether a township is willing to adopt district-by-district mandatory connection ordinances, plus maps and homeowner cost estimates.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6326206,"Kalamazoo utility reports drop in water-quality complaints, pushes faster smart-meter rollout",2320,870000,3190000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2325464-cfff2d9172120fef2faa5c57653d3e2c&start=870&end=3190","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2325464-cfff2d9172120fef2faa5c57653d3e2c/thumbnail_870000.jpg","/articles/6326206/Kalamazoo-City/Kalamazoo-County/Michigan/Kalamazoo-utility-reports-drop-in-water-quality-complaints-pushes-faster-smart-meter-rollout","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326206-dd9a87dcd6fd0eae324f52ba2c99a6fa/orig.mp4?Expires=1773180425&Signature=NUE19w9Cn6LSvkEJ61VnbPY6dNuqZE52YJdXaVgYq9y~otvIHzOHvK2sEvWzhsU3jVcEl~KsbqYr5f7Pg~-xDopO6w1MG03xATYpAFqv11~rWTgFFvPfG19D8GRQPjtIbH6IP~Uj79u7p5Q50oD8INOCtvwQr8P9LNOO2WNxi-Qjgrwx3DEy3IY0MOIHw~rpEjK6im2ohJUNXTIFilfrqPkBpnCsjLnTsraDyD8GDpwCNUHa4FyHULsSoVD~WkY0Duc3IY2706Vbt6OHe5MvvocvWhqINDtqCwMaZETO1LBQAssLwAjRGrd5v-Gpk9SNwPgk0ydpV6BD-G-DOn-b5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Kalamazoo Utility Policy Committee on Feb. 13 reviewed its 2024 utility annual report, which officials said shows fewer customer water-quality complaints, significant pipe replacement work and plans to accelerate smart-meter installations tied to lead-service work.

City staff told the committee that systemwide water-quality complaints fell from about 670 in 2023 to about 260 in 2024, and that operational changes dubbed the \"Siesta 1\" plan have helped reduce complaints in the High Pressure District. City staff also reported 68 water-main breaks in 2024 and 51 breaks since Jan. 1, which department leaders said has stressed crews and delayed pavement restoration work.

The annual report and discussion focused heavily on metering. The city said the system serves about 46,000 customer meters, of which roughly 7,500 have been replaced with advanced (smart) meters — about 16% of the system. Staff described a goal of replacing roughly 5% of meters per year and said the city is pursuing partnerships and operational steps to speed that pace. James (city water department staff) said the city added smart-meter replacement to lead-service-line contracts and is negotiating a contract with Gull Lake Sewer & Water Authority to install approximately 1,200 meters in Richland-area accounts. Staff said the partnership is intended to reduce installation costs and speed deployment by using Gull Lake as the installation contractor while the city purchases the meters.

Why this matters: officials said more advanced metering improves billing accuracy, helps identify unbilled pumpage and supports future changes in billing frequency. City staff told the committee that older residential meters often run slow as they age, creating a disparity between measured pumpage and billed consumption; a larger AMI fleet would give the utility better data to reconcile those differences.

On operational performance, staff said recent capital work improved redundancy. The city completed a transmission loop on 30th Street and revalved Station 39 so water could be routed into the East Side High Pressure District when Station 25 failed. \"It's paying off,\" James said, describing how temporary network changes preserved pressure and flow during a multiweek station outage. He added: \"If we've got a fire or something like that, we're going to be moving water to satisfy that demand.\" The department listed priorities in order: maintain pressure/flow, meet regulatory requirements, then water quality.

Staff also described changes in corrosion-control chemical dosing tied to a switch to an \"optimized corrosion control\" product. The department said phosphate dosing increased as the new formulation is fed at higher rates; staff described the product as providing a protective coating to reduce lead release and also sequester iron, but said it is not a full iron-removal treatment.

Committee members asked about the feasibility of moving to monthly billing. Staff said the city is not yet at the smart-meter penetration needed to move the entire system to monthly billing, but that zoning billing cycles and targeted pilots (for example, the Richland-area rollout) could allow a limited monthly conversion in the near term. Staff also said state rules allow a customer to opt out of smart meters but would require the customer to pay for manual-read alternatives and the additional administrative cost.

The committee discussed customer outreach and installation logistics. Staff said the city will send an initial notice to impacted customers announcing meter replacement and that Gull Lake (the contractor) would schedule appointments and provide follow-up notices. For customers who refuse entry for required work such as meter or lead-service replacement, staff said the city can discontinue water service under its ordinances as a last resort, though such shutoffs are rare.

Looking ahead, staff said the utility will continue pairing lead-service-line replacements with meter replacements, pursue the Gull Lake installation contract, and return to the committee and affected local boards (Richland Village and Richland Township) with implementation details and customer outreach plans.

Ending: Committee members indicated interest in tracking the pilot’s measured impacts (for example, recovered billed volume after meter swaps) and having the rate consultant analyze administrative costs tied to any move to monthly billing. The city will return to the UPC with further details when the Gull Lake installation proposal and corresponding capital plan are ready for the City Commission.","The Utility Policy Committee reviewed the 2024 annual report showing fewer water-quality complaints and infrastructure gains, and discussed an accelerated smart-meter program tied to lead-service replacements and a pilot installation with Gull Lake Sewer & Water Authority.","actionData","errors"]

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UPC accepts minutes, recommends Stantec for next rate calculation and approves consultant payments

UPC reviews neighborhood policy draft adding mandatory-connection language to advisory petitions

Kalamazoo utility reports drop in water-quality complaints, pushes faster smart-meter rollout