Center metering plan discussed

Denver Iconergy director Carl Hurst  holds up a water meter module for residents to see what the meters will look like. Photo by Teresa L. Benns

No announcement on police complaint

CENTER — Following a lengthy executive session for personnel matters, no announcement was made Tuesday, Feb. 12 by the Center Town Board regarding an ongoing evaluation of a complaint involving a police official under review by an outside human resources firm.
The board moved on to a public hearing on water metering to begin sometime this spring. Iconergy Director Carl Hurst, the consultant who has been handling the town’s water meter project, said the state is encouraging all communities to install water meters to better track consumption.
Center Town Attorney Mike Trujillo commented that the town must install meters to comply with state law. In working with water augmentation officials on the town’s water supply, Trujillo says it is clear the town must cut back on their water usage.  
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is performing the project in stages as funding becomes available. Hurst said each water tap will eventually have a meter on it by late spring and into the summer, if funding is not delayed.
Cost of the project is estimated at about $2 million, but could dip below that amount, Hurst said. The town is approved for a $1 million Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) grant but has not yet received it, and Hurst reminded the board they are competing with other communities for these funds.
Hurst commended the town for their DOLA grant proposal, saying they had done a good job of explaining why they need to keep water rates low for town residents. Even without the grant funds, Hurst noted that Center’s water rates still would be lower than most communities in Colorado.
Center Utilities Director Dave Mahaffie said “there is a lot of paperwork” involved in installing the system. He estimated the town is currently using about 258 million gallons of water each year.
Hurst held up a meter for inspection by hearing attendees. He explained that the meters have a 20-year warranty and are operated by a cell signal just like a cell phone. It will successfully integrate with the town’s current water system software to assist in billing and determining when there is a water problem at any given residence.
Another Iconergy representative told the board that these same meters have been recently installed in Roswell, N.M., and Westminster and are functioning well. The module for the system is made in Denmark.
Hurst says the meters do not come with automatic shutoff valves, but everything will be mapped out on GPS. The town will need to determine where their shutoff valves are located.  
Attorney Trujillo thanked Iconergy for their presentation and work on the project.