Public hearing to debate $8.16 million water meter replacement
Date: 5/24/2013
By G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.comCHICOPEE — The City Council will conduct a public hearing about the issue of spending $8.16 million to replace water meters in the city with more modern units.
City Council President George Moreau said he would try to schedule a Finance Committee meeting for June 3.
City officials have said in the past the new meters would be more accurate in measuring the water used by households. The battery-operated units send out a radio signal read by collection points mounted on city schools.
Several councilors expressed concerns about the units. Councilor Frank Laflamme said there are 16,000 meters that would have to be bought and installed. Councilor James Tillotson said the batteries in the meters are reputedly good for 15 years, yet the bonding to purchase the meters would be a 20-year loan.
"We would be replacing the meters before we paid for them," Tillotson said.
He explained the cost for the meters ultimately would be paid for by the additional revenue from the more accurate meters. The current meters can be 95 percent accurate, Tillotson said, adding that the new meters are 100 percent accurate and some customers could see a "substantial increase."
Councilor Charles Swider questioned why the current meters with a 95 percent accuracy rating should be replaced.
City Councilor Dino Brunetti said the batteries in the units are expensive and the city should be prepared that some of the batteries might not last 15 years.
"There's still a lot of questions," Brunetti said.
Councilor Gerry Roy said he had serious questions about the impact of 16,000 water meters transmitting radio signals. He said the city's electric meters are already transmitting cell phone-like frequencies and he wondered if pacemakers and other medical devices would be affected. He is also concerned about placing the collecting devices for these signals on city schools.
"That's something I'd like to be more comfortable with," Roy said.
Councilor Robert Zygarowski asked Moreau if City Treasurer Ernest Laflamme could be invited to the meeting to answer questions about the bonding.
The council will also discuss at the Finance Committee meeting two allocations of money for sewer separation projects — $3.2 million for James Street drainage, Lower Ingham and Bray Street Slope Stabilization, Empire and Clarendon Street sewer separation and Hearthstone Terrace sewer separation and $1 million to fund planning to explore "alternative means" to satisfy federal clean water mandates.
