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Arvada to add online bills, upgrade software and continue smart‑meter rollout; recurring card payments may slip to 2027
Summary
Staff told council Aug. 12 that Arvada plans to complete ADA and online billing access by year‑end, upgrade the billing system software in 2026, and continue the smart‑meter rollout through 2027; staff said recurring credit‑card automatic payments are targeted for 2026 but may slip into 2027.
Arvada staff gave a status update Aug. 12 on billing‑system upgrades and the utility metering program, outlining expected customer features and an approximate timeline.
Staff told council they are implementing digital accessibility improvements to meet ADA requirements and expect all customers to be able to view their utility bill online by the end of the year. Jacqueline Rhodes, infrastructure director, said a 2026 version upgrade to the billing software is planned; she described that update as an incremental software version upgrade that will make improvements but noted that a larger system replacement will be needed in the future.
On payments, staff said they expect to offer alternative payment methods in 2026. Recurrent credit‑card automatic payments were described as anticipated for 2026 but staff cautioned this feature may slip into 2027 if higher‑priority upgrades take precedence. Rhodes and utility staff said they will try to prioritize the projects users have requested, including reoccurring payments, but some items may move to 2027.
On metering, staff affirmed the city’s smart‑meter rollout is continuing with a projected overall completion circa 2027; staff said the rollout will link to customer water‑use apps and transponders currently being deployed. Rhodes said these metering improvements should support customer conservation and give households better visibility into their usage patterns.
Council members pressed for immediate fixes to online visibility of bills for customers who are not enrolled in paperless billing. Staff acknowledged the problem and said resolving online visibility for all customers (regardless of paperless status) is part of the year‑end work plan.
Next steps: staff listed milestones and said they will return with implementation timing and any necessary budget adjustments as part of the 2026 budgeting and ordinance process.
