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Utilities budget shifts: AMI opt‑out fee proposed, CIP reprioritized to avoid borrowing through FY32
Summary
Utilities staff told commissioners FY27 operating savings from the completed AMI project and attrition will reduce operating costs; they proposed a fee for customers who opt out of cellular AMI meter reads, and presented a reprioritized six‑year CIP that, staff said, avoids new borrowing at least through FY32 while moving lower‑priority projects to later years.
Utilities leaders told the commission the department is shifting its capital plan and proposing a limited opt‑out fee for the county's advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) program.
Shane Coontay, operating budget analyst, said the AMI roll‑out generated roughly $478,000 in operational savings and the department expects further savings from personnel attrition (~$600,000) as hiring is paced. James Lewis, capital budget analyst, described a substantial FY27 reduction in CIP driven by reprioritization of projects; by moving lower‑priority work into later years, staff said the six‑year plan is sized to avoid borrowing through FY32.
Director Waugh described an opt‑out path for customers who prefer manual meter reads rather than the county’s cellular AMI meters. He said the opt‑out would be a manual‑read program with a customer fee to cover operational cost and that “all meters, by rule, are AMI meters” in the system today. Waugh told the board the opt‑out would be used only for customers who specifically request manual reads.
Utilities staff also flagged project cost‑pressure from materials: for an awarded contract, a supplier asked for a material price increase (PVC pipe) of about 20–30%. Waugh said staff are evaluating whether to accept contractor requests, absorb price increases, or rebid — each option carries trade‑offs including schedule delays.
On user fees, staff said the department will shift away from large, multi‑year jumps and instead review gradual CPI‑based increases, with a study planned and attachments showing proposed CPI adjustments.
No formal vote was taken; staff will return with supporting materials, fee language, and the CIP decision package details for further review.
