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Gregory council approves new rugged meter-reading laptop, staff says labor savings will recover cost
Summary
Council approved purchase of a proprietary rugged laptop/mobile reader system intended to cut manual water-meter reads (staff reported 88–100 manual reads monthly). Staff projected cost recovery within about three years and said the unit includes a three-year warranty; council asked staff to explore alternative options and warranty details.
Council approved acquisition of a rugged, purpose-built laptop and reader system intended to interface with Gregory’s existing meter hardware, after staff warned current ad-hoc laptop setups require repeated manual reads. Staff described 88–100 meters requiring manual follow-up in a recent month and said the new hardware and software would reduce field time, freeing crews for other work.
On the record, staff said the unit carries a three-year warranty for the laptop and some components have shorter warranties; they estimated the city would recover the purchase cost within roughly three years through reduced labor. Council members requested additional options and warranty documentation prior to final procurement of any additional units.
