Saint Helena council approves $565,063 contract to replace aging water meters, directs staff to review maintenance funding

The Saint Helena City Council voted 4–1 Feb. 11 to award a construction contract to Professional Meters, Inc. for the city—s smart meter replacement project (CIP W2404), approving the resolution and directing staff to review funding for future maintenance costs such as battery replacement.

Council action closed a long-running procurement and implementation discussion about replacing aging pneumatic and radio meters with modern ultrasonic/cellular meters and a customer portal (Eye on Water). Deputy City Manager Leslie Milton and Public Works Director Leach told the council staff had already purchased meters and many lids, performed a prequalification and that the lowest responsive construction bid was $565,063 from Professional Meters, Inc.

Council members said the project addresses multiple operational problems. Director Leach said more than half the city—s metered connections now require manual rereads, that the city is experiencing about 30% unaccounted-for water (loss that includes leaks and under-registering meters), and that the new system would give customers near-real-time usage and help staff detect leaks faster.

The project budget and procurement history were central to the debate. Staff reported $1,180,000 in prior expenditures (meters, lids, engineering/construction management) and estimated that awarding the construction contract and completing remaining purchases would bring the total to roughly $2.3 million. The approved CIP funding was $1.97 million, leaving a projected shortfall of about $333,105; staff said roughly $100,000 of that was contingency. Staff and the council discussed tradeoffs including buying lids separately (to save an estimated 15% markup) and the risks of supply-chain lead times for larger vault meters.

Staff described two implementation options: awarding a contractor to complete installation in about six months, or doing the work in-house (an estimated 28–36 months). The council majority endorsed the faster contractor-led route, citing current operational burdens, while one council member favored delaying or staging the work.

The contract included standard procurement safeguards: a prequalification process (two bidders: Concord Utility and Professional Meters), professional construction management via Haley & Aldrich, and an owner—s representative to monitor costs and daily operations during construction. Council members asked staff to return with additional contract review details; staff said the city would complete a more detailed legal and contract review before or during execution.

The final motion, made by Vice Mayor Deasy and amended to direct staff to evaluate and report back on battery and long-term maintenance funding, passed on a roll-call vote: Vice Mayor Deasy, Council Member Barrick, Council Member Spatarotto and Mayor Doreen voted yes; Council Member Summers voted no.

Council members asked staff to identify funding options for the shortfall and to include the issue in upcoming budget and CIP discussions. Staff said the project is financed in part by a prior bond sale and that purchasing meters in advance had reduced contractor markup but created a need to store equipment on-site until installation.

The council action authorizes the city manager to execute the construction contract with Professional Meters, Inc. and authorizes the director of public works to approve change orders up to the approved contingency. Staff will return with additional budget and contract-detail recommendations as requested by council.

ACTIONS AT A GLANCE - Action: Contract award (CIP W2404 smart meter deployment) to Professional Meters, Inc. - Motion: Approve resolution to award contract and authorize execution and change orders; direct staff to review battery/maintenance funding (motion amended). Mover: Vice Mayor Deasy. Second: not specified in transcript. - Vote: Yes: Vice Mayor Deasy, Council Member Barrick, Council Member Spatarotto, Mayor Doreen. No: Council Member Summers. Tally: 4–1. Outcome: approved.

PROPER NAMES AND NUMBERS - CIP project: W2404 (smart meter deployment) - Low responsive bidder: Professional Meters, Inc. - Prior expenditures reported: $1,180,000 (meters, lids, engineering/construction management) - Proposed construction contract (bid): $565,063 - Estimated total project cost with construction/contingency: roughly $2,300,000 - Approved CIP funding: $1,970,000 (projected shortfall: $333,105)

Clarifying details: Staff purchased meters and standard lids separately to save approximately 15% contractor markup; custom vault lids were not pre-purchased and remain to be acquired. The contractor implementation timeline offered by staff was approximately six months; in-house completion was estimated at 28–36 months.

SOURCES: Presentation and discussion at the Feb. 11, 2025 Saint Helena City Council meeting; public staff slides and remarks by Director Leach and Deputy City Manager Leslie Milton.

ENDING: The council approved installation and asked staff to return with funding and contract details; councilors emphasized the tradeoff of faster implementation against the immediate budget shortfall and asked staff to monitor long-term maintenance costs such as battery replacements.