Label
Councilwoman Morris
AMI Meter legislation
Agenda Review
10/28/2025
Title
From: Councilwoman Morris Response Requested: 11/5/25
Please outline what “Professional Services necessary to complete program management duties related to AMI” are. (This ordinance is too ambiguous)
Body
Below is the attached scope of services from the proposal that would be incorporated into the proposed AMI Program Management Contract. These services are necessary for DPU to manage the installation of the remaining water meters.
SCOPE OF SERVICES - AMI METER EXCHANGE PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Following the completion of the CITY AMI project with JCI, approximately 5,500 meters need to be exchanged to read to the newly installed AMI network. These exchanges will be the responsibility of the CITY’s internal crews which will require close supervision and project oversight. DLZ is proposing to continue with the management of this internal CITY project and work directly with Water Distribution staff and other CITY divisions to assist in delivering a successful exchange program. We believe that contracting with the CITY for an additional two years will allow DLZ to continue to provide the same high-quality program management assistance that you have come to expect from our team.
As a continuation of the data gathering on lead services that occurred within the AMI program, DLZ would also assist with the organization and reporting for Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). A Baseline Inventory which builds on the initial inventory already completed by the CITY, is due by November 1, 2027. Additionally, the CITY is required to provide an initial service line replacement plan, also due November 1, 2027. The internal plumbing data gathered during the AMI project and the remaining 5,500 meters to be exchanged will be directly utilized in the LCRI program.
DLZ is proposing to continue performing the following services under this AMI Meter Exchange Program Management scope of work:
• Daily interaction and project coordination with DPU management, billing staff, water distribution staff, customer service teams, and field personnel;
• Facilitating and participation in progress meetings;
• Input and oversight of the public communications, including direct collaboration with the CITY Marcoms department;
• Monitoring and tracking of internal project schedule and CITY crew output;
• Dashboarding and reporting on KPI’s as determined by the CITY including exchange project progress, network health, non-compliance, and non-pay collections;
• Management of DPU Non-Compliance Disconnect program and necessary departmental coordination with Marcoms, Billing, and Customer service;
• Monitoring of Cityworks work order management system with work order data cleanup, work order tracking, work order resolution practices assistance, and workflow optimization strategies.
SCOPE OF SERVICES - AMI SYSTEM SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE
The division of Water Distribution has undergone many changes with the upgrade to a new AMI system that includes a new collection system, new head-end system (RNI), and new analytics software. The primary function of attaining monthly reads over the air without the need for a truck roll has been effective but there are other significant procedural upgrades and network monitoring tools that should be leveraged and used more frequently. DLZ would assist the CITY, specifically the Water Distribution and the Billing department, in fully leveraging the tools and data in their Sensus driven system and providing improved visibility and understanding of the existing system. DLZ is proposing to perform the following services under this scope of work:
• Monitor alarms and assist with work order management;
• Adjust alarm thresholds in coordination with the CITY AMI team and industrial billing clerks;
• Review data quality and optimize billing success rate and accuracy of customer data;
• Function as a mediary between Water Distribution and billing departments to improve efficiency and procedures;
• Monitor health and responsiveness of the AMI Network and provide troubleshooting advice;
• Track meter dials and resolution inconsistencies for reprogramming operations;
• Provide action plan with updated departmental responsibilities on orphan meters, mismatches, never heard/never read meters, and stale meters;
• Meter system maintenance within the billing systems and VFlex file to reduce estimating and inefficient meter reading practices;
• Assist with tracking equipment warranties and RMA returns to providers for meter failures within the warranty periods.