Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utility Billing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council hears that missing meter reads may have left city with roughly $500,000 shortfall; authorizes smart‑meter contract signature
Summary
Finance staff told council that months of missing meter reads produced large receivable anomalies — roughly $500,000 the city may not be able to recover — and council authorized the city manager to sign a smart‑meter contract, with staff to confirm contract numbers before signature.
City finance staff told the Prairie View City Council that a recent gap in meter readings left the public works billing system with large receivable anomalies and a potential unrecoverable loss. Finance staff said the billing company did not receive meter reads for several months; "So make a long story short, the city is out probably about $500,000 that we cannot recover," the finance presenter told council during the monthly financial report.
Council discussed training for utility clerks, accelerating a transition to smart meters, and asked staff to confirm contract pricing before finalizing procurement. Special counsel and staff recommended authorizing interim city manager Carl Jones to sign the smart‑meter contract once the contract sum is verified; council voted to permit the city manager to sign provided the contract reflects the originally discussed scope and numbers. Several council members asked staff to circulate the final contract numbers to the dais before execution.
