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Waukegan committee backs ComEd AMI joint‑use LOU; residents press for bilingual outreach and opt‑in clarity
Summary
The finance committee approved a joint‑use agreement to expand ComEd’s AMI mesh network to collect water‑meter reads; staff said the rollout will be multi‑year beginning with about 1,000 installs and that crews may need to access meters inside homes. Aldermen asked for Spanish/English outreach and a plan for resident sign‑ups.
The Waukegan Finance and Purchasing Committee on April 6 approved a letter‑of‑understanding to expand ComEd’s advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) mesh network so the city can retrieve water‑usage reads remotely.
City staff said the change requires installing a readout device on top of existing meters (a battery‑powered “top‑of‑meter” unit) and that the first year will include roughly 1,000 devices to test deployment and software integration. Staff described a planned five‑year rollout to convert about 21,000 active meters over time and noted equipment lead times and a staffing backlog are constraining how fast the program can proceed.
“Right now… we have to move to a new software for the meter reading,” city staff explained during the meeting, adding the top‑of‑meter device does not require shutting off water but may require an in‑home visit when the meter is in a basement or hard‑to‑reach location. Staff also said the program will provide a customer portal for near‑real‑time usage data once the software is in place.
Aldermen and residents pressed for details: how the first 1,000 homes will be chosen (staff said it will be a planned/random selection coordinated with the meter‑reading software vendor), whether installations will be paired with building permits or closings, and how the city will communicate in both English and Spanish. Alderman Florian and others urged bilingual outreach, a clear sign‑up option for volunteers and advance notice by letter.
City staff committed to developing an outreach plan and returning with a formal presentation once software and deployment schedules are finalized.
What residents asked for: a bilingual information campaign, a hotline or sign‑up for early volunteers, and clear guidance about whether participation is mandatory or optional. Staff noted meter batteries have finite life and replacement will be required over time; the initial rollout is a technical and logistical step toward remote automatic reads rather than eliminating the utility’s role in troubleshooting.
Next steps: the water department will prepare an outreach plan, draft FAQs in English and Spanish, and provide a proposed schedule for the first‑year installs to the committee.
