The Taunton Municipal Light Plant (TMLP) Commission convened on December 3, 2024, to discuss several significant projects aimed at upgrading the city's utility infrastructure. The meeting focused on authorizing bids for critical upgrades to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system and the replacement of outdated Internet services equipment.

The first major decision involved a request from TMLP's transmission distribution department to seek proposals for a SCADA master upgrade. The existing system, which has been in place for a decade, is nearing the end of its operational life. The commission unanimously approved the motion to proceed with this request, which is part of a larger budgeted project.

In addition to the SCADA upgrade, the commission addressed the need to replace optical network terminals (ONTs) that support Internet services. The current ONTs are between 10 to 15 years old and are no longer supported by the manufacturer. The commission approved a capital expense of $80,000 for this replacement, which is expected to begin in 2024.

During the meeting, the commission also awarded several bids related to these projects. A sole-source bid from Kallax for the replacement of 769 outdated ONTs was accepted for a total of $77,727.85, following a temporary fix provided by Kallax to maintain service during the transition.

Furthermore, the commission reviewed bids for various equipment and services, including a significant contract for a dead front loop feed, which was awarded to E.L. Flowers for $221,432. Other bids were also accepted for network upgrades and core router replacements, with Insight being awarded contracts for both the TMLP Network Refresh Project and the City of Taunton WAN network upgrade.

Overall, the meeting underscored TMLP's commitment to modernizing its infrastructure to enhance service reliability and efficiency for its customers. The approved projects are expected to improve operational capabilities and support the growing demand for Internet services in the community.