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Council approves $12.8 million CWLP contract for advanced metering system
Summary
The City Council approved a 15-year agreement with Landis+Gyr for an AMI system for CWLP not to exceed $12,799,831.51; councilmembers pressed for rollout details, minority participation reporting and confirmed the purchase will be paid from bond-refinancing savings.
The Springfield City Council voted to accept proposal 25-10 from Landis+Gyr for CWLP’s advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) communication system, in an amount not to exceed $12,799,831.51 for a 15-year period.
"This is an ordinance accepting proposal number 25-10 with Landis plus Gyr ... in an amount not to exceed $12,799,831.51," the chair read as the item was placed on the floor. Council discussion focused on the scope of the purchase, how it differs from earlier pilot agreements, how the city will fund it and how the vendor will implement the network.
CWLP staff said the package replaces a prior ordinance and expands the scope to include software-as-a-service and maintenance over 15 years. Staff told council the purchase will be funded from savings generated by bond refinancing in 2024; the director estimated roughly $24 million in refinancing savings that were earmarked to fund AMI rollout for the first two years.
Council members sought specifics on rollout sequencing and equity. Alderman Williams asked whether the investment would require future rate increases and pressed for a plan for public engagement; staff replied that no utility-rate increase will be requested because the work is being funded from the refinancing savings. Council and staff discussed a multi-cycle meter-installation schedule for roughly 70,000 meters and that electric meter conversion should be fully operational in about three years, with water meters following later and using the same network.
Alderman Gregory and others asked for reporting and a fair-rollout assurance; council indicated an expectation that monthly progress reporting and an installation RFP would include rollout milestones and minority-participation considerations. The ordinance was adopted on the council floor and recorded as passing 8-0.
CWLP staff said AMI will allow more frequent meter readings (hourly options instead of one monthly reading), enable programmatic customer incentives and reduce field work for disconnects and reconnects. Installation and the subsequent meter-conversion RFPs were described as separate steps that will follow the equipment purchase.
Action: ordinance approving Landis+Gyr AMI purchase adopted (vote recorded 8–0).
