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Council rejects water-meter proposals, directs staff to reissue RFP with alternate options
Summary
Council voted to reject all proposals for an automated meter infrastructure project after staff reported installation complexity and significant proposal price differences; city has $650,000 in ARPA funds earmarked and a 2025-01-31 contract deadline, so staff will reissue the RFP to invite alternative meter types and installation approaches.
The Talent City Council voted to reject all proposals received for the automated meter infrastructure (AMI) water-meter replacement project and authorized staff to issue a new request for proposals.
City staff reported that two proposals were received for replacing 2,171 water meters: a lower-cost proposal for about $448,499 and a higher bid near $909,474. During negotiations with the preferred vendor, staff said they discovered the mesh radio-read installation and support would be more complex than expected and that other alternatives — including cellular-based systems and phased replacement — warranted reopening the procurement to obtain multiple meter and installation options.
City staff noted that approximately 900 meters would need replacement immediately while the remainder could be retrofitted over time. The city has allocated $650,000 in ARPA funds for the project and must have a vendor under contract by Jan. 31, 2025, to comply with funding constraints.
Councilor Byers moved to reject the proposals and authorize a new RFP that invites distributors to propose multiple meter types, remote-reading technologies and installation schedules. The motion passed by voice vote.
Staff said the new RFP will be developed with consulting assistance and that a cellular coverage study would be conducted if the cellular option is chosen.
Councilors praised staff for re-evaluating options and noted that if actual project costs come in under the ARPA allocation, remaining funds could be redirected to other projects.
