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Shenandoah approves Ameresco AMI agreement; council presses staff on data ownership and audit costs
Summary
Council approved a project development agreement with Ameresco to audit Shenandoah’s advanced metering infrastructure and possibly manage implementation; members pressed staff on life‑cycle costs, data ownership and a $20,000 audit fee if Ameresco is not selected for management.
Shenandoah — The City Council on Jan. 14 approved a project development agreement with Ameresco to conduct an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) audit and potentially manage later phases of the city’s meter modernization project.
Under the agreement, Ameresco will perform a phased project. Phase one is an internal system audit to determine what AMI solution best fits the city’s needs and to estimate life‑cycle and replacement costs. Staff said the audit will be rolled into project management fees if the city selects Ameresco to continue; if the city elects a different manager, staff said the audit would cost $20,000.
Councilmembers asked detailed questions about what the audit will include and who will own meter data generated by the new system. Lisa, a city staff member presenting the item, said the data will feed directly into the city’s billing software and stressed that it will be the city’s data.
“So the data will be our data. It goes into our systems,” Lisa said, describing how AMI works and the potential for customer dashboards and leak alerts.
Supporters said AMI reduces staff time spent driving for meter reads, improves read accuracy and can give residents near‑real‑time leak notifications. Opponents or cautious councilmembers asked for clarity on life‑cycle costs and ownership, and for the audit to identify long‑term replacement and ROI assumptions before the city commits to construction or equipment purchases.
What the agreement covers - Phase 1: Audit of existing metering and system needs, with a deliverable recommending a system design and cost estimates. - Phase 2 (optional): Project management and implementation; phase‑one costs roll into phase two if Ameresco is retained. - If the city does not retain Ameresco for project management, staff said the audit would cost $20,000.
Next steps and oversight Staff said they will return with the audit report and recommended next steps; if the city proceeds to equipment purchase or installation, staff indicated they will use cooperative procurement vehicles (such as the 791 cooperative) to streamline contracting.
Council requested that the audit include clear ROI and life‑cycle cost information and that staff clarify data retention and access policies before large‑scale procurement proceeds.
