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Smithville considers $2M–$3.2M options to replace aging utility meters
Summary
City staff and vendor Amaresco reviewed three options to replace Smithville’s aging metering system after the manufacturer stopped servicing existing meters, with estimates of roughly $2 million for electric-only and about $3.2 million for a full water-and-electric replacement; council raised concerns about existing debt and financing.
Amaresco representative Chad Nobles told the Smithville City Council on June 17 that the vendor can help the city select and install a replacement for meters no longer being serviced by their original manufacturer. “We'd given a budget roughly of $2,000,000 for just the electric. I think it was 3.2 to do a complete, you know, change out of water and electric,” Chad Nobles said.
Council members said the timeline is tight: staff reported the current meters may no longer be serviced as of February of next year, which would force manual reads or a replacement. A council member warned of existing obligations: “We still owe $1,200,000 on the current meters, and now we're being told we need to spend $2,000,000,” a council member said, arguing the city needs a concrete service agreement before committing additional capital.
Amaresco described three broad approaches: a standard capital purchase of meters, a mixed upgrade path, and a vendor service model in which Amaresco would finance the meters and the city would pay a monthly fee per meter. The vendor emphasized that it does not manufacture meters but can help select and implement equipment and, if requested, offer a service/financing model that shifts upfront capital costs to the vendor.
Council and staff discussed a short-term alternative of using handheld readers and manual data collection. A vendor demonstration confirmed that some handheld tools can read meter pulses but that manpower and logistics could be burdensome because many meters only transmit data every 15 minutes, requiring crews to pause 15 minutes per location to obtain readings.
No formal action or vote was recorded on the AMI item at the meeting. Council directed staff to return with more detailed cost breakdowns, potential funding methods (including use of tax-note proceeds), and concrete service-level agreements for vendor-proposed service models ahead of a future decision.
