MANSFIELD — Mansfield only receives revenue on 40 percent of the water it produces, according to City Engineer Bob Bianchi, who implored City Council on Tuesday evening to proceed with an $18 million city-wide replacement program for its water meter and data collection system.
“This is important. I cannot stress enough how important this is,” Bianchi said. “This is the foundation of the revenue that’s associated with the projects we talk about. If we have a shaky foundation, we know what potentially could happen.
Bianchi told council the project will pay for itself with increased revenues. “There is no question,” he said.
Despite his remarks, it’s clear several council members had lots of questions about the plan, which they gave a planned first reading on Tuesday. The city administration first discussed the plan with council at its March 19 meeting, though Bianchi was not there to answer questions.
Under the proposal, Suez Utility Service Co., Inc., would replace the city’s aging 19,000 residential and commercial water meters over the next 18 months, as well as provide radio frequency transmitters and 16 data collection sites around the city. Suez will host the server and do software updates, as well as maintain the system during the 15-year agreement.
The company will also train the city’s employees on how to operate the system and to use the analytics available with the smart system.
Bianchi said the city produces 9.5 million gallons of water per day, yet only collects revenue on 3.8 millions per day, a 60 percent difference. He said other losses, including water line leaks, water main breaks and fire hydrant flushing do constitute some small portion of the difference.
“That’s a disparity one might call unprecedented,” the engineer said. “We have not had a (city-wide) meter replacement project to my knowledge in the City of Mansfield.”
The proposed ordinance would authorize up to $18 million for the project, including $14.8 million to replace and maintain the system. Suez would fund the project and the city would pay it back over 10 years with $2.7 million in interest, unless the city paid it off early.
Bianchi said the water meters, some of which he said are 60 years old, are failing and so is the data collection system. He said the city should move forward, ensuring its customers pay for the water they use.
“Columbia Gas, First Energy, other utilities just like the City of Mansfield, should be responsible in making sure the customer and user pay for the commodity they use,” Bianchi said. “This is not something that was dreamed up by the City of Mansfield. This was a practice that should have taken place years ago.”
At-large Councilman Cliff Mears asked if there was another way to resolve the problem, including just replacing the meters and keeping the current data transmission system.
“I don’t mind being strong with my language here,” Bianchi answered. “As far as the transmission of the data in the system, we need to run quickly as fast as we can from the system we have installed. It’s failing. That’s the bottom line. It’s not fair to me if I am not honest with you. The transmission is failing. We’re not getting the reads to utility collections.”
Bianchi said the city would receive an additional $1.5 million annually in additional revenue if it recovers 10 percent of the disparity, though he said that could rise as high as 30 percent.
At-large Council Don Bryant, who asked the administration going forward to provide specific details on the number of failing water meters, asked Bianchi how city residents would be informed of the program and likely increased water/sewer bills.
Bianchi said the best method would be putting the information into customer water bills, though he said local media and “lots of conversations” would be needed. He said Suez has a program to inform homeowners regarding who would be coming to their homes during equipment installation.
1st Ward Councilman David Falquette agreed establishing a level for measuring usage is important. “It’s expensive. It’s a big deal. I think it’s the right thing to do.”
3rd Ward Councilman Jon Van Harlingen and 4th Ward Councilman Walden Jefferson both expressed concerns about potential large spikes in customer bills. Both suggested rates may have to be adjusted once the new, more accurate system is installed, a suggestion Mayor Tim Theaker said would be considered.
Theaker said, “If you use a gallon of gas in your automobile, you pay for a gallon of gas. It should be the same with (water/sewer bills),” adding the city needs to maintain funding for infrastructure and repairs to an aging water line system.
6th Ward Councilwoman Jean Taddie asked that the administration provide more information to homeowners and business owners regarding what to expect during the installation process.
Bianchi said Suez would first install the data transmission component and that meters would come second, likely beginning in August or September. It would take about a year to replace all of the meters, he said.
Prior to the water meter system discussion, Bianchi told council the administration is delaying a request from council to enter into engineering design contracts related to the construction of a dry dam, known as the North Lake Park Dry Dam over Touby’s Run.
The engineer said work on other parts of the project will continue, though the engineering design work could be delayed until the water meter project was complete and the city had a better idea how the revenue would flow.
Council did complete approval of a $4 million project to rehabilitate the Park Avenue East pumping station, which handles about 70 percent of the city’s sewerage. The city received a $500,000 grant through the Ohio Public Works Commission to help pay for the project, planning for which began about two years ago.
Bianchi said $2.7 million in funds would come from a previously approved waste-water treatment plant bond and $800,000 already appropriated from this year’s sewer fund.
Also on Tuesday, City Council:
— approved resolutions honoring retiring Mansfield police detectives Angela Eichinger and William Bushong.
— appointed 6th Ward resident Mary Haynes to the Police Review and Community-Police Relations Commission. It also reappointed three current members.
— approved a resolution in support of “(U.S.) Census Awareness Week.”
— approved demolition of dilapidated structures at 25 S. Foster St., 132 W. Second St., 215 Bowman St., 279-269 Orange Street, 439 Orange St., 513 W. Fourth St. and 550 Springmill St.
— appropriated an additional $250,000 for the 2019 street resurfacing program.
— authorized acceptance of a $200 donation from Graham Automall to be used by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department’s Easter Egg Hunt on April 13.
— watched Theaker present a proclamation to Tim Harless and Brigitte Coles from Richland County Children Services, designating April as “Child Abuse Prevention Month” in the city.
