City of Canyon Commission Meetings

AGENDA NOTICE OF MEETING Notice is hereby given that the governing body of the City of Canyon will meet at 5:30 p.m. on the 4th day of April 2016, in the Commission Chambers of City Hall at 301 16th Street in the City of Canyon to discuss the following agenda items: 1. Call to Order. 2. Invocation. 3. Pledge of Allegiance. 4. Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of March 21, 2016. 5. Public Comment – Comments from Interested Citizens. 6. Hear Presentation from Neptune Technology Group and Consider and Take Appropriate Action on Approval of a Water Meter Replacement and Automated Meter Reading Project. 7. Consider and Take Appropriate Action on Change Order No. 1 to the Contract for the Water System Improvements – Upper Pressure Plane Transmission Line and Pressure Plane Station No. 2, for Installation of Canyon East Well and Associated Improvements. 8. Executive Session Pursuant to Texas Government Code §551.071 Consultation with Attorney and §551.072 Real Property. 9. Consider and Take Appropriate Action on Items Discussed in Executive Session. 10. Adjournment. Randy Criswell, City Manager I certify that the above Notice of Meeting was posted on the bulletin board of the Civic Complex of the City of Canyon, Texas on the 1st day of April 2016. Gretchen Mercer, City Clerk City of Canyon City Commission Meeting March 21, 2016 The City Commission of the City of Canyon met in regular session at 5:30 p.m. in the City Commission Chambers of the Civic Complex. Mayor Alexander presided over the meeting with the following Commissioners in attendance Mayor Pro-Tem Gary Hinders, Joseph Shehan, Justin Richardson and David Logan. Also present were the following City Staff: City Manager Randy Criswell, Assistant City Manager Chris Sharp, City Secretary Gretchen Mercer, Business and Community Development Director Evelyn Ecker, Assistant City Manager for Special Projects Jon Behrens, Code Enforcement Director Danny Cornelius, and City Attorney Chuck Hester. Item 1. Call to Order. Mayor Alexander called the meeting to order at 5:33 p.m. Item 2. Invocation. Commissioner Shehan gave the invocation. Item 3. Pledge of Allegiance. Mason McClish, a 4th grader at Crestview Elementary and a Cub Scout with Troop 31, led the Pledge of Allegiance. Item 4. Approval of Minutes of the Meeting of March 7, 2016. Commissioner Logan moved, duly seconded by Mayor Pro-Tem Hinders, to approve the minutes of March 7, 2016 as presented. Motion carried unanimously. Item 5. Public Forum – Comments from Interested Citizens. No comments were made. Item 6. Proclamation Honoring Canyon High School Lady Eagles Basketball State Championship 2016. Mayor Alexander presented a Proclamation honoring the Canyon High Lady Eagles on their State Basketball Championship. Coach Lombard and several of the team members where present for acceptance. Item 7. Consider and Take Appropriate Action on Second and Final Reading of Resolution No. 03-2016 With Regards to the Conveyance of Property Located at 1512 5th Avenue to Blue Bison Investments, LLC. The Property is to be Used for New Construction. Business and Community Development Director Evelyn Ecker presented Resolution No. 03-2016 for consideration and its final reading. City Commission Meeting March 21, 2016 Page 2 of 3 After discussion, Commissioner Richardson moved, duly seconded by Commissioner Shehan to adopt Resolution No. 03-2016 as presented. Motion carried with Mayor Pro-Tem Hinders abstaining. RESOLUTION NO. 03-2016 RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF CANYON APPROVING A PROJECT FUNDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN BLUE BISON INVESTMENTS, LLC. AND CANYON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION REGARDING A LAND GRANT FOR THE NEW CONSTRUCTION OF A MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT LOCATED AT 1512 5TH AVENUE. THE GRANT IS BASED ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW BUSINESS OR EXPANDED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES. Item 8. Consider and Take Appropriate Action on Recommendations from the Board of City Development (BCD) for 2016 Budget. Assistant City Manager Chris Sharp said the Board of City Development (BCD) met February 18, 2016. Mr. Sharp said collections for 2015 were up almost 14% from the previous year and the Board felt collections for 2016 would be the same if not more. Mr. Sharp stated Canyon Main Street felt the advertising costs they usually requested funds for would be more suitable for the Chamber to use. Adjustments were made accordingly for 2016. Mr. Sharp said the BCD unanimously recommended the approval of the proposed budget for 2016 fiscal year. Billboard Land Lease $ 6,000 Xcel Energy (electricity for billboard) $ 2,000 Texas $35,000 WTAMU $40,000 Panhandle Plains Historical Museum $35,000 Chamber of Commerce $56,000 Canyon Main Street $ 2,000 Kids Inc. $ 3,000 Total $179,000 After discussion, Commissioner Shehan moved, duly seconded by Mayor Pro-Tem Hinders to approve the BCD Budget as presented. Motion carried unanimously. Item 9. Consider and Take Appropriate Action on 2014-2015 Audit as Presented by the Audit Committee and Doshier, Pickens & Francis. Assistant City Manager Chris Sharp presented the City of Canyon Audit for FY 2014-2015. Mr. Sharp thanked members of the Audit Committee, Mayor Alexander, and Mayor Pro-Tem Hinders for their time working on the Audit. Mr. Sharp then turned the Audit Presentation over to Henry Davis, partner from Doshier Pickens & Frances, LLC. Mr. Davis gave an overview of the audit stating the City of Canyon had been given a “Clean Audit Opinion”. Mr. Sharp also thanked Joel Wright, a Certified Public Accountant with Tate & Cox, P.C. for his preparation of the work City Commission Meeting March 21, 2016 Page 3 of 3 necessary that was turned over to the auditors, allowing them to get the audit done in a timely manner. After discussion, Commissioner Logan moved, duly seconded by Commissioner Richardson to approve the 2014-2015 Audit as presented. Motion carried unanimously. Item 10. Consider and Take Appropriate Action on Appointment of Auditor for City of Canyon’s Budget Fiscal Year 2015-2016. Assistant City Manager Chris Sharp said Doshier, Pickens & Francis had done a great job for the 2014-2015 audit and that it was the recommendation of staff to reappoint them for the 2015-2016 audit. City Manager Randy Criswell commended Joel Wright of Tate & Cox, P.C., Doshier, Pickens & Francis, and Mr. Sharp and his staff for their hard work. After discussion, Commissioner Logan moved, duly seconded by Commissioner Shehan to appoint Doshier, Pickens & Francis as the City of Canyon Auditor for FY 2015-2016. Motion carried unanimously. Item 11. Executive Session Pursuant to Texas Government Code, §551.071 Consultation with Attorney; and §552.072 Regarding Real Property. Mayor Alexander indicated the Commission would adjourn into executive session at 6:20 pm. Mayor Pro-Tem Hinders took leave of the meeting at 6:40 pm. Item 12. Consider and Take Appropriate Action on Items Discussed in Executive Session. Upon returning from executive session at 7:22 pm, no action was taken. Item 13. Adjournment There being no further business, Commissioner Logan moved this meeting be adjourned. ______________________________ Quinn Alexander, Mayor ATTEST: ________________________________ Gretchen Mercer, City Secretary REGARDING ITEM 6 AGENDA To: Randy Criswell, City Manager From: Dan Reese, Public Works Director Date: March 29, 2016 Re: Hear Presentation from Neptune Technology Group and Consider and Take Appropriate Action on Approval of a Water Meter Replacement and Automated Meter Reading Project. As we have previously discussed and at the direction of the City Commission, the Public Works Department is ready to make a presentation further defining our proposed meter replacement and automation project. Since 1991, the City has been exploring options and technology required to upgrade our meter reading capability. Neptune, our current meter vendor, came on board at that time. Lack of service and quality of the previous equipment caused the switch to Neptune. Since then, we have attempted to keep up with the technology that was current at the time and Neptune has always helped us to do that. In 1995, we began with the first automated system with some “touch-pad” readers. The automated technology has always been earmarked for Hunsley Hills, where lack of alleys made meter reading difficult. In 2000, the technology evolved into the first “radio-read” system as the first version of the R900 system. Since then, the R900 system has been continually upgraded as the technology improved. Today, all versions (V1 thru V4) are still compatible with one another and can be read with both our current mobile devices and from fixed collectors. Currently, this accounts for about 1900 meters. So, this means that about 40% of our existing meter infrastructure is ready to go, with little or no preparation to switch to the fixed network. This is another (if not the most important) reason for continuing with the Neptune equipment. All of the meter replacements (new meter & register) will have the latest, enhanced, technology (V4). This accounts for approximately the remaining 2900 meters in the system. Since the discussion arose concerning the use of the bond funds for this project, updated cost estimates have been obtained from HD Supply, our Neptune vendor that will oversee this project. Since we first started the discussion during the last budget cycle, costs have increased some, plus we have “drilled it down” to get the best estimate possible. The radio reception studies have shown the need for 7 collectors to cover the entire system. Five of these could require mounting on a monopole. The other two will be mounted on our existing facilities (elevated tanks). Currently we are studying the idea of using our existing emergency siren locations and poles to see if we can save some money on the monopoles. We’re sure that at least one monopole will have to be installed, at the Canyon East Park. We’re still tweaking on the design to find the best locations possible and we’re looking to cover a larger area that originally conceived due to our growth areas (east and northwest). Included in the costs are the operating software and a dedicated computer server to handle the data. The best estimate we have at present for the entire system upgrade is approximately $ 1,260,000. City of Canyon  AGENDA We have invited experts from Neptune, Charlie Trimble and Justin Krieg to come and present more information to the Commission and be prepared to answer any questions that you or they may have. Charlie will speak on the technical “nuts and bolts” of the system and present a couple of case studies, while Justin will have a short demonstration on the operating software and show how we can greatly enhance our customer service capability. The Public Works Department recommends Commission approval to proceed with the design and construction of a water meter replacement and automated meter reading project. Costs for the project are not to exceed $1,300,000 and will be paid for with existing water bond funds. City of Canyon  Automated Meter Reading Neptune R900 6-26-15 DER Updated 3-28-16 History  Meter replacement has been discussed for years Mobile - Started as remote register on the fence Touch pad Radio read – mobile collector or hand-held “drive-by” / “walk-by” readings Fixed Network – where radio read information transmitted to a “fixed” location or device – data collectors send info to a central computer  Neptune’s first automation was in 1964  City of Canyon started w/ Neptune in 1991 – our main meter vendor since  When first considered, fixed networks offered only on one frequency (450 MHz)  Mobile (“drive or walk by”), like we have, on another frequency (900 MHz)  Neptune saw the need industry-wide and came up w/ 900 MHz fixed Allows systems to use existing radio / mobile infrastructure rather than having to change everything out  Easy “migration” to fully fixed system and can convert system at own pace  Perfect for us – more than 1/3 of system already radios – about 1800 meters  Allows for redundancy – will have mobile (“drive-by”) capability during power or system failures Benefits  Increased manpower efficiency  Utility crews spending 120 man-hours per month reading (6 men, 20 hrs.) That’s potentially 1440 man-hours per year saved in the field that could be used for other projects. 0.95 X 1440 X $24 = $32,832 – basically, the salary of another employee  Once completely on a fixed network, manpower requirement for meter reading reduced by approx. 95%  Billing clerks spending many hours per year loading handhelds, issuing re-reads and bad readings, downloading handhelds, auditing monthly readings, etc., etc. – estimate a 50% time savings in the billing dept. handling readings – can speed up billing  Greatly reduces or even eliminates extra trips to customers for re- reads, account transfer readings, etc.  Increased productivity in both field and billing office  Currently most other field operations cease so that meters are read – extra time saved can be dedicated to system doing other projects, making taps, fixing leaks, performing maintenance  Automatic readings also greatly enhance customer service, both at city hall and in the field.  Better Customer Service  Quicker, more accurate data for customers  Leak detection flags – will see constant use - help reduce bills  Easier bill dispute resolution – customer can see usage quickly  Enhanced R900i register logs data – up to past 96 days – sends a fixed network “message” every 7.5 minutes – encoder “reads” every 15 minutes  Better tracking of turn-ons / turn-offs, consumption profile / history / trends  Capability of future interfacing w/ internet – customers can see their own usage on demand – no immediate plans for this  In the future - field personnel carrying tablets – able to show customer on the spot readings / usage  Increased accuracy in readings  Meter errors – newly replaced meters more accurate – increased revenue  Data handling errors – reduces actual reading / data entry errors – leads to fewer re-reads / over-reads / under-reads  All ”off-cycle” readings could become virtually instantaneous, daily, even hourly – re-reads, transfer reads - eliminate trips for these – hundreds of trips per year just for readings  Never have a need for reading “estimation” – Will maintain redundancy with our current mobile equipment (handhelds & data collector)  Reduce / track thefts – better water loss control – better audits  “Zero use” – dead meter detection  Backflow detection  Increased enforcement of drought contingency  Good conservation tool – could help quantify our conservation efforts   Increased employee safety  Reduced chance of knee / back injury from less stooping  Reduced chance of insect / animal bites  Reduce chance of weather related illness from heat / cold Implementation and Costs  Approx. 2,900 meters left to change out  Propose full implementation - 7 fixed collectors  Propagation model indicates about 99% coverage  This is a theoretical model – won’t know for sure until we get up and running and see the actual results  Total project estimate - $ 577,000 collectors, software, server, labor $ 683,000 meters $ 1,260,000 total  Time to complete the entire project – Approx. 6 months REGARDING ITEM 7 AGENDA To: Randy Criswell, City Manager From: Brian Noel, Parks Director Date: March 28, 2016 Re: Consider and Take Appropriate Action on Change Order #1 To the Contract for the Water System Improvements – Upper Pressure Plane Transmission Line and Pressure Plane Station No. 2, for Installation of Canyon East Well and Associated Improvements. The Canyon East well was bid in late fall. The bid came back at $295,000.00, and was not presented to you for award due to the excessive cost. We decided to see what kind of a price we could get if we asked BRB to bid it as a Change Order to their current project. (As you will recall, BRB is doing the large water main project right now.) They provided us with a proposed price of $175,200, which was significantly less than the original bid, but still way over our budget. To assist in the cost, the Canyon East Development team will be providing the building for the well and controls, so it is not included in this price. The contract with BRB includes the well drilling, site work, and the slab. Funding is available as follows: Total over past two years’ budgets for this park is $191,643.94. Total spent or to be spent: $34,550 for new playground equipment $8,000 to be spent for concrete work at playground $20,000 for irrigation $18,000 for sprigging Total needed for well: $175,200 Total deficit: ($64,106.06) We clearly under-estimated the cost involved in the well, and need your authorization to proceed. If you choose to proceed and finish this phase of the project as we’ve discussed, we’ll need an additional $65,000. It is staff’s request that Change Order #1 to the Water System Improvements – Upper Pressure Plane Transmission Line and Pressure Plane Station No. 2 Contract be approved in the amount of $175,200, with the budget to be amended to provide for the extra unanticipated $65,000. City of Canyon