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Council discusses installing individual water meters at local trailer park; staff to scope site and costs
Summary
A trailer park owner requested 15 individual meters and the council discussed options for placement, cost (roughly $240–$500 per meter), frost protection and account setup. Council asked staff to do an on-site assessment and return with a plan, costs and any fee implications.
Brad Swanson, who owns a local trailer park, asked the council to install 15 individual water meters so tenants could be billed separately rather than by an aggregated account he currently manages.
Public works and utility staff discussed technical constraints and estimated unit costs. Staff said remote-read or digital meter units typically cost about $240–$500 per meter plus installation; they noted challenges such as frost protection, routing of the service line, and whether meter bodies would be installed under trailers or at a common pedestal. Staff recommended an on-site inspection to identify optimal meter locations and to estimate excavation, frost depth and concrete or pedestal needs.
Councilmembers and Mr. Swanson discussed account setup: staff said meters under trailers can be read remotely by a reader wire or probe in many installations and that a service agreement will be required if meters are located on private property. The council noted prior precedent where the city negotiated individual accounts for mobile-home units and asked staff to produce a plan that includes the number of meters, proposed meter locations, expected installation cost per unit, and any necessary changes to billing or collection practice.
Why it matters: Installing individual meters would change customer billing, potentially reduce disputes over usage and align tenant bills with consumption, but it would also require one-time capital expense and operational changes to set up and maintain multiple accounts.
Next steps: Council asked staff and the property owner to meet on site, return cost estimates, and propose a program design that addresses freeze protection, billing and account administration. No formal vote was taken; staff will return with a recommended implementation plan.
