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Power staff flag SCADA maintenance backlog, transformer lead times and AMI meter plans
Summary
Power staff said SCADA upkeep has fallen behind and recommended contracting or time-and-materials maintenance; the department listed battery-bank and transformer replacements, several vehicle requests with long lead times and continued consideration of AMI (smart) meters and meter data systems.
A power-department representative (identified in the transcript as a staff group including Brian, Mike, Jared and others) told the council the city’s SCADA system (supervisory control and data acquisition) has not been fully maintained in recent years and requires substantial work. Staff said older SCADA elements and portions of newer infrastructure have not been brought fully under SCADA monitoring and that cumulative deferred maintenance accounts for an elevated line-item estimate (an aggregate multi-year estimate described to council members).
Staff and council discussed options including contracting SCADA work on a time-and-materials or contract basis rather than hiring a full-time employee. Staff characterized the higher SCADA figure as accumulated work from multiple years rather than an annual recurring cost.
Other capital items identified by power staff included battery-bank replacements at substations, oil testing of transformer equipment and orders for large transformers with long lead times. Staff also listed several priority vehicle and equipment requests for line crews, including new bucket/line trucks; the transcript noted that some specialized vehicles take multiple years to be delivered and are paid for when received.
The department asked about AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) smart meters; staff described AMI as beneficial for remote meter reads and system monitoring but acknowledged political resistance and privacy or perception concerns. The transcript shows a range of council views about whether the city should proactively install charging stations or AMI infrastructure. No formal votes were taken on these items during the recorded discussion; staff will follow up with more detailed scopes, cost breakdowns and options for contracting SCADA work.
