Board approves connection-fee changes, raises AMI rollout items and endorses opt-out policy with monthly analog fee

Hurricane power staff told the board the city has signed a contract for an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system and will begin training and trial meter installations in the coming weeks.

Mike Johns, Hurricane power director, announced, "We have finally got the contract signed for our AMI project." Johns told the board the utility contracted with Eaton Corporation for the AMI system: "We're going under Eaton Corporation. ... We'll be happy to work with them and to get that moving forward."

Staff said the AMI deployment will include software installation and training, trial areas for a few meters and an ordering process for materials. Johns also reported that a separate grant for the 600 North transmission upgrade has been finalized for city review and that materials ordering will begin once the grant paperwork is signed.

Meter opt-out and analog-meter fees

Several members discussed requests from customers for the option to keep an analog (non-communicating) meter for medical or other reasons. Johns said Rocky Mountain Power allows an opt-out in Utah (but not in Idaho) and noted the city already has an old analog meter rate on the books that no customers currently use.

To cover the extra labor and vehicle costs of manually reading analog meters after the AMI rollout, staff proposed increasing the monthly analog-meter charge. Johns explained the calculation: the city used journeyman labor rates plus vehicle costs and divided by an assumed three customers per trip, producing a proposed adjustment of about $43.12 on top of the base residential charge. That would raise the typical analog-meter monthly bill from roughly $30 to about $63.50.

On procedure and eligibility, board members discussed whether to require medical certification and whether customers with a history of tampering should be barred from the opt-out. Johns and other staff suggested the fee and the requirement that the customer pay for any special meter work would screen out non-medical opt-outs. As Johns put it, the fee "is high enough that somebody's just not gonna do it at convenience, but there are people who need it." The board also noted AMI meters can improve theft and tampering detection.

Board recommendations and fee votes

The board voted to recommend that City Council permit an AMI opt-out policy, and the board approved an updated connection-fee schedule that incorporates updated material and labor costs and the new AMI meter material cost. The board also voted to update the analog-meter reading charge and to recommend the City Council receive the AMI opt-out recommendation. Those items were advanced to council as recommendations; staff said the connection-fee changes will take effect next week after the council process.

Why it matters: AMI replaces manual meter reading with remote reading, reduces recurring meter-read labor and supports operational improvements (tamper detection, remote disconnects). The opt-out policy and related fees determine whether some customers may remain on analog meters and who bears the cost of continued manual reads.

What's next: Eaton will schedule training and initial installations; staff will send slide material and information to the public; the City Council will consider the opt-out recommendation and the updated fee schedule at upcoming council meetings.