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City unveils online map to track AMI meter exchange; staff outlines outreach plan for residents
Summary
The City of North Lauderdale demonstrated a new public web application that shows the status of advanced meter infrastructure (AMI) exchanges, and staff outlined a multi-channel outreach campaign including letters, robocalls and door-knockers to reach owners and tenants.
The city demonstrated a new AMI meter exchange status application that residents can access through the utility billing page on the City of North Lauderdale website. IT Director Mitch Williams showed a color-coded map that marks meters as completed, scheduled or remaining; users can search by property address for detailed status.
Williams said the web application displays meter boxes (some containing multiple meters) with color codes: green for completed exchanges, yellow for scheduled and blue for remaining. The map has several layers, including imagery and topography, and is searchable by address to provide a specific account’s status. Staff said the page will be updated at least three times per week as the meter-change vendor provides progress information.
City Manager Sargis and utility staff described the resident outreach and data-verification campaign tied to the AMI rollout. Steps include three mailed letters to property owners/users, robocalls to phone numbers in the city’s system, town-hall meetings led by the water contractor US Water, and targeted door-knocking and door hanger notices when staff identify accounts with incomplete contact information.
Staff said the city has roughly 8,400 utility accounts and about 26,000 phone numbers and email addresses in the notification system; they are also using Broward County property-appraiser records to identify property owners when billing contact details are missing. Staff said they will post visual maps and flyers in public locations and provide additional in-person assistance at events and bill-payment centers for owners who cannot be reached online.
No commission action was required; the presentation was a report and staff asked commission members to approve continued outreach steps. The commission asked staff to post physical flyers and to provide periodic summary reports on outreach success and outstanding accounts.
