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Approve Agreements for AMI Project Implementation <br />November 17, 2020 <br />Page 3 <br />An AMI system will improve the customer experience by providing much greater consumption detail <br />on individual water accounts enabling customers to proactively manage their water consumption. <br />Additionally, through the integration of the MDMS with enQuesta, the Municipal Utility Services <br />department will have the ability to issue water bills on a monthly basis, improving cash flow to the <br />City. The proposed system will also allow for the automation of water meter -related work orders <br />communicated to the Public Works Agency, improving response times and reducing field visits. <br />With residential customers comprising approximately 87 percent of the water system accounts, <br />staff proposes utilizing water meters with the capability to remotely turn on and shut off accounts, <br />make rate adjustments and perform other meter functions in order to provide a more efficient <br />customer service experience. The residential meters will also incorporate pressure and <br />temperature readings allowing for improved system monitoring and preventative maintenance. All <br />of this equates to a reduction in operations and water loss costs while improving operational <br />efficiencies. <br />A Request for Proposal (RFP) was advertised on the City's online bid management and publication <br />system, with bids due on February 19, 2020. The RFP was constructed in such a way that bidders <br />could propose on an inclusive turnkey solution, or bid separately for each of the three project <br />components, giving the Public Works Agency the flexibility to select the best option for water <br />customers. Fifty-seven contractors downloaded the project documents. Fourteen proposals were <br />received and evaluated by a selection committee based on criteria as outlined in the RFP. The <br />following four bidders were placed on a short list and invited for follow-up interviews: <br />Firm <br />Components Proposed <br />Rank <br />Aqua -Metric Sales Company <br />All <br />1 <br />Aclara Technologies, LLC <br />All <br />2 <br />Badger Meter, Inc. <br />All <br />3 <br />SmartWorks <br />MDMS only <br />1 <br />In accordance with the criteria set forth in the RFP, staff recommends awarding contracts to Aqua - <br />Metric Sales Company for the coordination and installation of an AMI system (Exhibits 1 and 5), <br />including metering and data transmission hardware; Sensus USA, Inc. fora spectrum lease (Exhibit <br />2); and SmartWorks for an MDMS that will provide enhanced data analysis capabilities and <br />integration with the existing billing system used by the Municipal Utility Services department <br />(Exhibits 3 and 4). Each proposal demonstrated high technical competency, experience performing <br />the requested services, and a clear path toward achieving the goals set forth in the RFP. <br />Below is a summary of the project's expected activities and costs by fiscal year: <br />FY 2020-21 <br />This year, the City will launch the project with the Alpha Proof of Concept (POC) Phase, which will <br />include the installation, setup, configuration and integration of all network collector base stations, <br />the Regional Network Interface, the SmartWorks MDMS, and enQuesta billing software. The Alpha <br />25H-3 <br />