City Council

MARTINSVILLE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA Council Chambers, 55 West Church St. CALLED WORKSESSION THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 12:00 NOON TO 2PM 1. Hear a report regarding the recently-completed engineering study of the 6.2 mile section of sanitary sewer interceptor line that extends generally along the Smith River to the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. 2. Hear a report regarding possible upgrades to the City’s utility metering system.  Smith River Intercept Investigation Investigation Results and Path Forward. Thursday, November 20, 2014 Background  The Smith River Intercept Starts at Koehler and ends at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, spans 6.2 miles.  All sewage from the City except the Mulberry Intercept travels through it. County waste comes from closed Koehler plant and north side.  4.2 miles Corrugated Metal(CMP) with asphalt liner. The remainder is Reinforced Concrete(RCP)  Constructed in early ’60s.  Has a lifespan of 35 to 50 years. City contracted with Dewberry to oversee the investigation  RedZone Robotics was contracted to do the field investigation.  Camera equipment with Ultrasonic and Infrared detection.  Investigation started in June and ended in July.  The results of the investigation indicate repair work is needed.  Suggested repairs are in two phases; immediate, and others scheduled over multiple years. Immediate Need -Section of CMP Between Walker Road and Smith River  Approximately 200 feet of 42 inch CM pipe that has significant collapse. (80% +/-)  Location presents significant challenges.  The slope supports the only road in and out of the old Bassett Walker Plant.  Has large gas main under the road.  The railroad in supported by the same slope. Challenges  Very limited access to the section.  Need to investigate geotechnical structure of surrounding property.  Bypass/pump-around during project.  Need to stabilize the slope during repairs.  Install pipe liner from manhole 43 to manhole 43.5 while line access is available.  Leave bank in stabilized condition. Additional Sections of Partial Collapse The Path Forward  Categorize/prioritize needed repairs  Investigate funding options for short term and long term repairs.  Request authorization at upcoming Council meeting to proceed with the initial phase of the project.  City of Martinsville Meter Replacement and Self- funding Projects Thursday, November 20, 2014  What is AMI/AMR • AMI - Automated Metering Infrastructure – is an architecture for automated, two way communication between a smart utility meter and a central database for utility billing, trouble shooting and data analysis. Communication can be continuous. • AMR – Automated Meter Reading – is a an automated one way communication from a utility meter to a central database for utility billing and status reporting. Communicate is interval-based. Water Meter Replacement was the driving factor for AMR/AMI • Meter replacement is recommended every 15 to 20 years. • Majority of City’s meters are well over 20 years. • Meter accuracy degrades over time – typically will get slower as they age.  Options Investigated • With changing technology, staff investigated the latest metering techniques and equipment. • Automated metering is now in a mature state and is the industry standard. • Collection is either fixed based or drive-by systems and usually accomplished by radio communication, telephone or network system • Staff visited Iredell Water Corp. in Late July 2011 and observed their data collection process. • Visited Danville Utilities Benefits of AMI over AMR • Data is continuous and easily accessible. • City can monitor electrical quality at meter. • Water leaks can be detected for the customer almost immediately. • Current readings can be accessed quickly without truck rolls Overview of Possible System • When the meters are replaced they will be equipped with a radio transmitter. • Different systems have different means of gathering the data. • Fixed-based (AMI) systems are becoming less expensive. Process Followed . . . • City has budgeted for meter replacement for a number of years, but delaying project pending review of options • Conducted a test of approx. 100 sample meters and found accuracy at approximately 95%. • Concluded improved accuracy would generate revenue that could be used to fund meter replacement project Energy Savings Companies • Considered structuring an AMI/AMR project with a participating ESCO as a self funding process. • This is a widely-used option and ESCO’s have numerous AMI/AMR deployments • City issued “Back of the Envelope” invitations to 5 companies. Received proposals, conducted interviews. • Currently working with Johnson Controls  Johnson Controls Proposal includes: Evaluate AMI cost for installation and maintenance Evaluate Street Lights (LED lighting) Evaluate Sludge Dewatering & Disposal Options  Johnson Control Cont. Projects will be structured as self- funding – savings pays for project. Cost of investment-grade audit for evaluation is $175,000. If self- funding project cannot be developed, City has no cost obligation for audit. If City accepts the project, the audit cost is rolled into overall project cost. Next Steps . . . • Opportunity to review information, clarify, ask questions • At upcoming Council meeting, request will be made to authorize execution of agreement to proceed, identifying funding for audit (expected to take 6 months +/-) • Upon completion of audit, staff will review findings and determine an appropriate project scope. Next Steps cont. . . • Presentation made to Council, along with recommendation for project scope and implementation. • Arrange project financing (bond issuance) • Project savings finances debt service. • Project implementation • Measure & Verify, report results.