Punta Gorda utility staff report 10,000 AMI devices offline; consultant study to recommend replacement plan

Punta Gorda — The Utility Advisory Board heard a status report on widespread failures in the city’s advanced metering infrastructure on March 24, with Utilities Director Tom Spencer saying more than 10,000 AMI devices are currently offline and a consultant has been hired to lead an engineering study.

The study contract awarded to Corolla will run roughly six to eight months and will examine meter failures, develop specifications, recommend procurement language and propose a maintenance program, Spencer told the board. "We have over 10,000 AMI devices that are offline," Spencer said. "I don't expect that they'll be fixed overnight, but it is my top priority."

Why it matters: Punta Gorda relies on meter reads for billing and revenue that funds utility operations. Board members and staff said restoring accurate, city-wide metering is essential both for customer billing accuracy and to maintain funding for department projects.

Spencer said the city is continuing manual and estimated reads under an existing meter-reading contract that covers about 8,000 meters and is working with procurement to expand coverage, including the option to piggyback on another contract to speed work. He said current repairs have focused on the mechanical meter register rather than restoring AMI communications, and that parts shortages and limited technician capacity are constraining progress.

"We currently only have two AMI technicians," Spencer said, noting that level of staffing is insufficient to complete the scale of repairs needed. Staff recommended hiring two additional AMI technicians and building a preventative maintenance program that would physically inspect at least a third of meters annually to reduce the risk of future mass failures.

Board members pressed for a faster timeline. Staff emphasized the study is intended to avoid repeating past failures: it will identify the root causes, build specifications for new meters and propose safeguards (for example, scheduled preventative maintenance and condition monitoring) so replacements are more durable.

The consultant-led study will include monthly meetings and periodic data requests; the consultant will also do a site visit to gather additional information, Spencer said. Council previously approved the contract award to Corolla for the AMI study, Spencer reported; the board was being briefed on the project schedule and staff resource needs.

Staff described other near-term steps: expanding manual reading coverage to reduce billing gaps, evaluating whether to hire an outside contractor to accelerate AMI repairs, and keeping the board updated at monthly intervals. Spencer warned that, even with additional staffing, procurement of parts and selection of replacement meters will take time.

What’s next: Staff will continue monthly coordination with the consultant, pursue procurement options that could be piggybacked to shorten lead time, and return to the board with updates on technician hires and study milestones.