McAlester approves $91,250 change order for AMI grant project to add transmitters and installs

The McAlester City Council approved a change order authorizing the mayor to sign a $91,250 addition to the city's Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) grant project, city staff said.

Staff said the change order to Utility Technology Services adds 400 transmitters, 350 cables and 400 transmitter installs. The project is funded as a 50/50 match under a Bureau of Reclamation grant: the grant totals $1 million, with $500,000 expected from the city. City staff said the initial contract bid came in under the grant amount and that this change order will not increase the total awarded grant dollars but will extend the project schedule.

The utilities coordinator explained the additional units will convert “stale” digital meters — meters physically in place that currently cannot be read because they were installed during a supply shortage — into fully read meters and will cover the remainder of residential meters. The coordinator said large commercial meters remain for a later phase because those replacements generally require business shutdowns and larger crews.

Councilor Beatty moved approval and Councilor Woodley seconded. The roll call recorded yes votes from Vice Mayor Beatty, Councilor Woodley, Councilor Gilmore, Councilor Stone and the mayor.

The change order includes a remobilization fee because installers may finish their current workload and need to remobilize for McAlester. Staff said they expect the work to be completed under the grant and that the added transmitters will allow meter readers and the city to close the outstanding residential-reading gap.