GRAVETTE — Sometime this summer, Gravette water customers will be able to monitor their water meter readings electronically as a result of city council action Thursday night.
The council approved the purchase of 1,350 new meters to replace those installed several years ago. Many of those now require manual readings.
The new meters, appropriately called E-meters, are new self-contained capsules which have no mechanical moving parts and which are guaranteed 20 years. They are able to measure water consumption as tiny as a dripping faucet, the council was told by a representative of the Searcy firm from which the purchase is being made.
Any defective meters will be replaced without cost during the first 10 years and on a pro rata basis for an additional 10 years.
The meters, some of which are already in use in the state - in Fayetteville and Beebe - also contain no lead, which is a new EPA requirement. The meters being replaced do not meet that standard.
Besides the individual meter transmitters, a computer network will be located throughout the system to transmit information to a central receiver. The central computer will be customer-accessible and will allow customers to monitor their consumption or detect leaks that might otherwise escape notice.
Delivery of the meters from Badger Meters, a Wisconsin firm, is expected within the next several weeks.
Cost of the system is $350,000. No increase in water rates will be required, Mayor Byron Warren said.
Other Considerations
In other action, the council renewed an existing 10-year contract with Empire District Electric Company to supply and maintain the city’s street light system. The charge is $5,935.27 until additional street lights are requested by the city through mutual agreement.
◊Approved a condemnation ordinance to allow the removal of houses, buildings and structures which are considered nuisances through a notification process and with a fine of up to $500 per day for noncompliance. The ordinance is recommended by the Arkansas Municipal League.
◊Approved an ordinance which provides for allocation of court costs and fines in connection with city offenses as assessed by Benton County West District Court.
◊Declared four vehicles as surplus property: a 1999 utility truck and a 2006 Dakota, both assigned to the water department; a 1995 Chevy S-10 assigned to the police department; and a 1999 Crown Victoria, listed under administration department. This action will allow the city to legally dispose of them.
◊ Approved a bid of $22,250 to construct a cement slab in Pop Allum Park as part of a skateboard project. A drawing indicates the slab will be 120 x 50 feet. Seven Valley Concrete’s bid was the lowest of five submitted, ranging upward to $37,950.
◊After some discussion concerning renewing the May contract with the Boys and Girls Club for use of the Civic Center, a two year contract was approved, with details to be worked out between the city and the club. Among those speaking in support of the measure was Frankie Valdez.
Mayor Warren reported that the city’s waste disposal provider has indicated the citywide rate, including newly annexed areas, will be $9.96 per month with a 96 gallon receptacle provided. The present contract with the firm expires at the end of this year.
News, Pages 1 on 03/06/2013