Wellington work session reviews utility billing guidelines, outlines AMI smart‑meter rollout

Wellington Town staff reviewed an internal utility billing guidelines document and described plans to roll out an automated metering infrastructure (AMI) at a Feb. 24 Finance Committee advisory work session.

The guidelines are intended as an internal procedures document to complement Wellington Municipal Code Chapter 13; staff noted the packet language is drawn directly from the code and is not intended to supersede ordinances or resolutions. Committee participants discussed meter‑reading practices, delinquency and restoration fees, customer‑service exceptions, and the town’s budgeted plan to replace remaining mechanical meters with smart meters and supporting radio‑frequency infrastructure.

Why it matters: the AMI rollout would give staff more actionable meter data, speed identification of leaks and large‑use events, and provide residents a public portal to view near‑real‑time usage. Staff said the full AMI and software integration is a costly project (roughly seven figures); the town applied for a Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART grant that could offset several hundred thousand dollars. Committee members and staff discussed timelines, customer notifications, and adjustments for residents with hardship.

The guidelines specify operational items such as typical meter‑reading windows, three meter types in use today, and handoff timelines between Public Works distribution/collection crews and finance. Staff said meter reads typically occur during a window near the end of each month and that there are three route/meter types: a mechanical meter that must be touched, a partially remote type, and radio‑frequency “smart” meters that can be read by driving past. Staff said the town is working to increase the portion of radio‑frequency meters and to automate anomaly detection (continuous‑consumption alarms) as part of the AMI program.

Staff described current field procedures: when a reported or detected reading appears anomalous, the utility billing coordinator generates a work order for the distribution and collection (D&C) team; the document sets a one‑business‑day target for recording newly installed meters and for the D&C team to respond to work‑order requests. A town staff member said today’s reports sometimes show missing reads (a recent report lacked about 300 meters), triggering follow‑up work orders.

On fees, the guidelines point to the municipal utilities fee schedule rather than listing amounts within the internal document; staff clarified the town’s existing schedule includes a $5 delinquent fee, a $10 fee for generation of a shutoff notice, and a $75 service restoration fee if crews must restore service. The committee discussed an internal practice of not conducting shutoffs during late‑November/December holidays; staff said the town has historically avoided December shutoffs and uses discretion for compassionate considerations.

Staff also described customer‑facing items being planned with AMI: a public portal that would allow residents to view usage (for example, detecting a sprinkler or toilet running), potential automated leak letters, and longer‑term system enhancements to support scheduled payments and improved billing automation. "Our goal is to get that real‑time information into residents' hands," said Megan Smith, deputy director of public works.

Committee members suggested clarifying language in the draft guidelines (for example, defining abbreviations such as "D&C" and spelling/phrasing edits), adding an explicit section on compassionate considerations and payment arrangements, and publishing simple metrics on the town website (hours spent on meter reads, counts of replaced meters, number of leak adjustments) to explain the return on the AMI investment.

Staff noted procurement and schedule constraints: the 2025 budget includes the AMI project without assuming grant proceeds; if the town is not awarded the WaterSMART grant (notice expected in May), staff said the town will move forward using budgeted funds. If the grant is awarded, federal contracting requirements would delay a summer start but still allow kickoff in 2025; staff said full rollout is not expected until late 2026.

The guidelines also reference options for leak testing and adjustments, and the town’s hardship utility grant (recently funded again) that can provide up to $300 with proof of hardship and is credited directly to utility accounts. Staff emphasized the utility billing coordinator currently tracks payment arrangements and can make account adjustments under existing code authorities.

Next steps: staff will continue interviews to fill an administrative finance clerk/utility billing coordinator role, incorporate committee feedback to the internal guidelines (clarifying abbreviations, adding compassionate‑consideration language and payment‑plan guidance), and return updates as the AMI grant decision and procurement milestones progress.