Water superintendent says Neptune My360 failed to meet alert expectations; village will seek contract termination

Water Superintendent Roberts told the Village of North Baltimore Committee of the Whole on Dec. 2 that Neptune My360 would not meet the village's expectations for near-real-time water-usage alerts. Roberts said he had met with company representatives and was told the application would alert residents about irregular water usage within a day rather than the hours the village expected.

Roberts said he did not feel moving forward with the purchase — discussed in the meeting as approximately $18,000 — was cost-effective given that limitation and that he intends to obtain credit from Neptune for previous payments toward the app. Administrator Josh Bender confirmed a resolution to terminate the agreement will be presented at the Dec. 8 special council meeting for the Council's consideration.

Why it matters: The village sought a monitoring tool that would provide rapid notification of leaks or abnormal use; delayed alerts reduce the tool's effectiveness at preventing water loss and property damage. The termination resolution scheduled for Dec. 8 will determine whether the village stops pursuing the purchase, seeks a vendor credit, or negotiates revised performance terms.

Next steps: The Committee of the Whole did not vote on the termination at the Dec. 2 session; the formal resolution is slated for the Dec. 8 special meeting.