Council weighs replacing Badger meters; favors MasterMeter endpoints to cut costs
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Summary
After a three‑year trial with Badger meters, town staff recommended switching 22 trial Badger meters to MasterMeter endpoints to avoid monthly cellular fees and simplify meter reading; the swap would incur upfront costs the council discussed phasing over two fiscal years.
Town staff presented results from a three‑year Badger meter trial and recommended replacing the 22 trial Badger endpoints with MasterMeter endpoints.
The water technician said about 10% of Badger units failed to report during routine reads and that Badger’s customer support has been unsatisfactory. Cellular endpoints carry ongoing monthly charges (discussed at about $3 per month per endpoint) and a one‑time higher hardware cost; MasterMeter endpoints were described as less costly to maintain and easier for staff to read. Staff reported vendor Schultz (Dustin/Schulz) offered to assist with switching and might offer favorable pricing to convert the 22 installations; the council discussed breaking the replacement expense across two fiscal years to reduce budget impact.
No formal council vote was recorded at the work meeting; council members asked staff to include the cost and funding plan in upcoming budgets and to continue with phased installation if pricing supports the switch.