Buffalo Gap moves ahead on Phase 2 water work; board weighs sensors, opt‑out meter policy

The Buffalo Gap Board of Trustees discussed Phase 2 of the town’s drinking-water project and debated remote-monitoring sensors and how to handle customers who previously opted out of meter upgrades.

Chair (S3) introduced Item 4 as the Phase 2 construction that will include remote sensors and said the town will sign contracts and hand them to Mel to begin the next work stage. Technical participants described the sensors as a stripped-down transmitter or PLC that reports pump and electric status; one presenter (S6) said such devices are simple and replaceable and estimated a useful life of roughly 20 to 25 years. Trustees raised concerns about warranty length, parts availability and how long the electronics would remain current.

Board members said Dakota Pump will provide training as part of the purchase, which trustees said would allow the town to shift from reaction-based maintenance to monitoring system statistics. The discussion included a quoted price reference in the meeting transcript stated as "15 let's say $15.05," which the transcript does not unambiguously document as a full dollar amount; the exact total cost and funding line were not specified in the transcript.

During the Phase 2 discussion the board also opened a public hearing on opt-out meters. The chair and trustees described repeated cases in the past year when customers with opt-out meters experienced leaks on the customer side that went undetected until visible ground failures occurred; that has complicated leak detection and repair. One trustee proposed sending certified letters to owners of opt-out meters asking whether they want to be upgraded during Phase 2 and warning that properties that do not respond would be bypassed for the upgrade. Participants estimated about 17 opt-out meters remain in town, but the transcript provides that figure as an estimate.

A public commenter urged the town to submit the bill from the recent leak-detection work to the construction company under warranty or contract terms so the town is reimbursed. The board did not record a formal decision on that billing question in the transcript.

Next steps the board discussed include finalizing contracts to begin Phase 2 construction, sending outreach to opt-out meter owners (the board debated certified mail), and confirming funding sources; no final vote on the sensor purchase or an opt-out policy is recorded in the transcript.