Minutes 10-17-2017350
MINUTES
CITY OF DUNN
DUNN, NORTH CAROLINA
The City Council of the City of Dunn held a Special Call Meeting on Tuesday, October 17, 2017, at 7:00 p.m. in the
Dunn Municipal Building. Present was Mayor Oscar N. Harris, Mayor Pro Tem Billy Barfield, Council Members
Buddy Maness, Dr. Gwen McNeill, Frank McLean, Billy Tart, and Chuck Turnage. Also present was City Manager
Steven Neuschafer, Finance Director Mark Stephens, Public Works Director Dean Gaster, City Clerk Jennifer Fortin,
and Daily Record Managing Editor Lisa Farmer.
INVOCATION
Mayor Harris opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and gave the invocation. Afterwards, the Pledge of Allegiance was repeated
AGENDA ADJUSTMENT AND APPROVAL
Motion by Council Member Turnage and seconded by Council Member Maness to adopt the October 17, 2017 meeting
agenda with changes, if any, as listed below.
Agenda Items Added.-
• none
Agenda Items Removed.-
0 none
Motion unanimously approved.
ITEM FOR DISCUSSION
AND/OR DECISION
MeterSys feasibility Study Presentation
City Manager Neuschafer stated Council authorized the City to engage MeterSys to do a systematic review of our meter
system. Representatives for MeterSys are here to present their findings.
Finance Director Stephens stated a contract was approved in April to look at an Advanced Meter Assessment Study.
Andy Honeycutt — Director of MeterSys
Roger Sauls — Business Development Director
-- Cassius Williams
Lisa Wynn — Data Analyst
Laura Brown — Project Manager — absent
Mr. Honeycutt discussed the options.
Option 1: Do nothing and keep the current system you have. You wouldn't have to change anything. You would not have to
learn new software or invest any money.
The benefits are as follows:
• No required changes to business process
• No increased capital or operational expenditures
The challenges are as follows:
• Limited and reactive customer service
• Resources spent on contract meter reading
• Meter reading safety risks
• Read errors due to manual read entry
• Support current operations by multiple departments
• Limited proactive maintenance
• No leak detection
• Mix of meter types and ages
• Financial exposure due to asset degradation
Option 2: Automated Meter Reading (AMR)
The benefits are as follows:
• Improved accuracy due to meter change out
• Reduced read time through drive by collection
• Limited historical usage profiling (30 days of hourly reads)
The challenges are as follows:
• Read data collected every 30 days versus every hour/on. demand
• No remote trouble shooting , alerts or alarms
• No leak detection or remote disconnect features
• No customer access to data
• No ability to track system water production and sales through District Metering Areas (DMAs)
Option 3: Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)
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The benefits are as follows:
• Improved accuracy due to meter upgrade
• Significant reduction in manual labor
• Near real-time read data
• Customer access to data (portal)
• Alerts and alarms
• Expandable network functionality
The challenges are as follows:
• Significant change management required
• Privacy/security protocols need to be established and continually maintained
• Need for engaged training and continual system management focus
The software is integrated and tested live. The staff would be well trained and very comfortable with the software before we
step away.
Council Member Tumage stated, if the City went this route, we would need assistance with public information to assist the
citizens so they understand.
Mr. Honeycutt stated communication planning is part of the project integration.
Council Member Maness asked if there are two transmitters and one should go down, how quick can we get another one, or
should we have one as a spare? When we talk about reliability, failure or accuracy and what the experiences have been, such
as pitfalls.
Mr. Honeycutt stated although we partner with them, we do make them take responsibility. The standard we put in RFP's is
98.9% of all reads that are eligible to come in on the system. If a handheld or collector goes down, the read data will be
maintained for 30-55 days until the sensor hears the collector again. You will also have the drive by option if the collector
goes down.
Council Member Maness inquired about from a security stand point, what type of level do we have to prevent from
manipulation of the system to maintain the integrity?
Mr. Honeycutt stated there are levels of access such as read-only, user I & 2 levels and administrator and that would be up to
your IT Department and officials to determine who has which level of clearance.
Mayor Harris asked what the City would be looking at for a time line.
Mr. Honeycutt noted the procurement typically takes from 4-6 months. We highlighted from start to finish less than 18
months. With two installers we can get done anywhere from 200-250 meters per week, and they would follow your route
sequence. This would be a phase -in project.
Council Member Maness noted there was $13,500 set aside and over a 10-year period would be $135,000. How many meters
does that replace?
Mr. Honeycutt stated that is for infrastructure. These units cost $20,000-$40,000 each, and it is not required to set the money
aside it is just a recommendation.
Mayor Harris inquired about getting a list of other municipalities that have installed the system for the City Manager to
contact regarding the functionality.
Mr. Honeycutt stated, Belmont, Jonestown and Kannapolis. I will also generate a list for you comparable to the size and age
of Dunn.
Motion by Council Member Maness and seconded by Council Member Tumage to approve MeterSys to move on to the RFP
stage of the process. Motion unanimously approved. A copy of the presentation is incorporated into these minutes as
Attachment 41.
Mayor Harris introduced Mr. Don Lee, Assistant Scout Master at Troop 55 in Spivey's Corner and with him is Jackson Lee
who is observing the Council meeting to obtain his Citizenship in the Community merit badge.
Stormwater Project and Funding — E. Bay Street
City Manager Neuschafer stated Public Works Director Gaster will go through the information in the packet and explain what
the issue is. He will also go through some of the repairs that have been discussed and the history of the problems we have had
with the system.
Public Works Director Gaster stated the 12" water line blew out on the evening of October 7, 2017 in the 100 block of E. Bay
Street. There are pictures in the packet provided to you and were taken on Monday during repairs. The small line in picture
number 1 is the water line where the line blew out. The 42" line in the back is the storinwater line that runs parallel and these
lines run extremely close together. It has always been discussed if we ever work on one or the other we would have to do
both because of their proximity to each other.
In picture number 3 there was a section of stormwater pipe where a joint separated during the digging process and that
portion of the road is caving in. I contacted Randy McNeill with DMP regarding the age of the lines. He stated it was pre
DMP, but he estimated it to be late 50's early 60's. With the line down it affected Food Lion Warehouse and the industrial
end of our system. The line that goes under E. Vance Street was not able to support the south side of our system during the
period of time we were trying to isolate the water break.
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The areas in red on the map are areas of known issues that have been repaired. The blue areas are areas we have replace the
entire block. We have made some repairs on the lines. There are some areas we are not have issues and other areas where we
are having many issues with.
The water line for those two blocks were engineered in a phase 2 project a few years back and the funding was not available
to proceed. The engineering work has been done by DMP for those two blocks for the water line. The stormwater line would
have to be looked to and see what it would entail to get that into a project. Since the engineering is over two years old we
would have to re -submit the plans to the Public Water Supply Division in Raleigh for approval a second time.
The 100 block of E. Bay Street is closed and there is an alley beside the house pictured that makes that house accessible to
the residents.
Public Works Director Gaster stated he did get a rough estimate, which follows:
Water Line
$125,000
Stormwater Line
$175,000
Resurfacing
$ 42,000
Misc. (bond)
$ 17.000
Total
$359,000
This would replace 2 blocks, Clinton to Railroad replacement of the 12" water main and replacement of 42" stormwater line.
Finance Director Stephens stated there was $100,000 budgeted in the operating budget of the water/sewer fund for a project
that was deemed feasible to be done in the City. In June we carried over $75,000 in the Stormwater Fund. We do have about
$30,000 of operating money in the Stormwater Fund. There is not enough in the Stormwater Fund to cover the current issue.
We need to look at financing options. If we borrow the money we should think about finding another project to do and lump
the projects together for financing. It doesn't seem feasible to only borrow $175,000.
Mayor Harris received a unanimous consensus from City Council for Public Works Director Gaster to move forward and put
together a plan to be considered at the November City Council Meeting. A copy of the map is incorporated into these minutes
as Attachment 92.
Downtown Parking
City Manager Neuschafer stated the maps included show the number of parking spaces for on -street and off-street parking.
There is a two-hour time limit for on -street parking. We have talked about the parking issue at previous meetings and retreats
about enforcing the two-hour time limit. That would take personnel, time and effort and consistency. There is no time limit
- for off-street parking.
Council Member Tumage stated this subject needs to be approached by the Downtown Dunn Development Corporation and
help them help us police their own ranks. If we put all this effort into it, they have to be part of the solution and collectively
address the parking situation.
Council Member Maness stated there is 171 parking spaces the City maintains. Are all those parking lots full on any given
day of the week?
City Manager Neuschafer stated the least used parking lot at City Hall. The Clinton Avenue parking lot is busy.
Council Member Maness stated he would like to know where the complaints are coming from so Council is aware who has
the concerns.
Mayor Harris suggested talking with Keilah Goff, Director of Downtown Dunn Revitalization and Development Corp., and
as part of the Main Street Program have them address this problem and have them tell us how they want us to address it. A
copy of the maps is incorporated into these minutes as Attachment 93.
Motion by Council Member Barfield and seconded by Council Member McNeill to adjourn the meeting at 8:47 p.m. Motion
unanimously approved.
Attest:
Jem4fer M./Fortin, CMC
City Clerk
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Oscar N. Hams
Mayor