Levelland council approves $89,948 payment to Ameresco, debates locking new water meters

The Levelland City Council voted at a May meeting to approve payment application No. 5 to Ameresco for $89,948.19 for the city—s water meter project, while council members and staff debated whether to install locking lids that restrict customer access to meters.

City staff described the meters as part of the contracted Ameresco project and said the devices will alert the city if they lose connection or are tampered with. A staff member (presenter) said, "If you go out and if you do anything with the water at your house, this meter will notify us." The presenter also told the council the payment request was submitted under the contract approved in October 2024.

Council discussion centered on two customer-access issues: whether customers should be able to open meter lids and whether the meters can be operated remotely through an app. A council member said remote shutoff was a selling point when the project was described to residents but staff said the app functionality is separate and not yet confirmed. The staff member (presenter) said the city is "still researching apps" and that the app the city had previously examined "wasn't gonna work."

Several council members raised concerns about damage to meters if nontechnical residents try to shut them off at home. One council member recommended against installing locks immediately: "My recommendation is that we don't put the locks on there," the council member said, proposing the city wait and evaluate damage reports before locking lids.

Staff reported existing and near-future scope of meters with locks: about 1,500 meters currently have locks, and that number could be over 2,000 by the time replacements are scheduled. A staff member said that if a meter is damaged "we have to replace the entire meter" and that the cost of a full meter replacement is "significant." The city—s current policy, staff said, is that "only the city may turn your water on or off." Staff told council they would draft a policy addressing when lids should be locked, how to respond to tampering, and how to handle replacements.

On the payment request, the staff member (presenter) said the item before the council was "payment number 5 for this project" and asked for approval of $89,948.19. A motion to approve payment application No. 5 was moved and seconded; the council voted by voice and the presiding officer said, "All in favor? Aye. None opposed. Motion carries." The meeting record does not list individual roll-call votes.

Council also discussed customer equity and practical access: members noted many residents do not have or would not use an app, and others may have a contractor or handyman turn off water with a wrench, increasing risk of damaged valves or meters. Several speakers urged a policy that balances preventing tampering with providing practical access for customers in emergencies.

Staff said notification features on the new meters should allow the city to detect loss of connection or tampering and to dispatch crews when necessary. The council directed staff to draft a written policy and to return with recommendations on handling existing locked meters, replacement timing, and communications to customers.

The payment to Ameresco was approved; council did not adopt any immediate ordinance or fee changes during the discussion.

The discussion on the meters and the Ameresco payment followed extended public and council dialogue about operational details and next steps; staff signaled it will follow up with written policy options and implementation steps for council consideration.