January 12, 2015
The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Water Commissioners of
Columbus, Georgia was held at the office of the Columbus Water Works on Monday,
January 12, 2015, at 1:30 p.m., the following Commissioners being present:
Carole Rutland
Karl Douglass
Reynolds Bickerstaff
Sanders Griffith
Mayor Teresa Tomlinson
The Board welcomed new Board member Mr. Sanders Griffith to the meeting.
This being the first meeting of the New Year, election of Officers was in
order. The following Officers were nominated:
Office 2015
Chairman Carole Rutland
Treasurer Karl Douglass
President Steve Davis
Secretary Emory E. Blount
Following discussion, a motion was made and second to elect the above
Officers for the calendar year 2015. Motion carried.
Receipt of the Minutes of the regular meeting on December 8, 2014, was
acknowledged by the Board and approved as written.
Vic Burchfield advised the Board that Frank Burch, an employee of the Columbus
Water Works for 32 years was retiring. During his employment, he served in the
capacity of Information Database Specialist in the Information Services
Department. Frank was unable to attend this meeting. However, the following
Resolution will be presented to him:
A Resolution
Whereas, Franklin L. Burch, Jr., has been an employee of the Columbus Board of
Water Commissioners since February, 1982 is retiring; and,
Whereas, Franklin L. Burch, Jr., has served in the capacity of Information
Database Specialist in the Information Services Department with the Columbus
Water Works; and,
Whereas, Franklin L. Burch, Jr., has performed in an outstanding and productive
manner throughout his thirty-two years of service;
Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved that the Board of Water Commissioners of the
City of Columbus, Georgia, on behalf of all the people of the City, hereby
publicly expresses appreciation and heartfelt thanks to Franklin L. Burch, Jr.,
for his diligent and faithful service on behalf of the Columbus Water Works;
and,
Be It Further Resolved that this resolution be spread upon the official minutes
of this Board this twelfth day of January 2015, and that the Secretary of this
Board be directed to furnish copies of this resolution to the said Franklin L.
Burch, Jr., and to the Clerk of Council of Columbus, Georgia.
______________________________ _______________________________
PRESIDENT, COLUMBUS WATER WORKS CHAIR, BOARD OF WATR COMMISSIONERS
________________________________________
________________________________________
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT/SECRETARY, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
BOARD OF WATER COMMISSIONERS FINANCIAL AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
The Board acknowledged the Resolution for Mr. Burch.
Jeremy Cummings introduced Jack Dozier former Executive Director of the
Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP). Mr. Dozier was present at
the meeting to present the following awards:
? The Collection System Excellence Gold Award was achieved in recognition of
our outstanding operation of the Wastewater Collection System during calendar
year 2014.
? The Outstanding Operation of a Water Distribution System in the category of
over 50,000 customers was awarded for the calendar year 2014.
? Jason Martinez was inducted into the Golden Manhole Society for his
contributions and efforts to the betterment of individuals associated with
collection systems and the operation of such collection systems.
The Board congratulated the above recipients for their outstanding service and
dedication.
The Financial Report for the month of December including Ft. Benning was
provided to the Board. Motion was made and second to approve the reports.
Motion carried.
Joey Murphy presented the following information on CWW?s Meter Change-Out and
Automated Meter Reading (AMR) Program and Monthly Meter Reading Conversion
Program, which are precursors to the Customer Information System Replacement.
He stated each of these projects will have a direct impact on every customer in
Columbus. The projects are outlined below:
Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) and Meter Change-Out Historic Timeline
? Late 1990s ? Meter Change-Out program revamped Touch Read Pilot Project
? 2003-2005 ? Meter Change-Out Program modified to include Backflow
Prevention. AMR Pilot on industrial and commercial routes
? 2005-2006 ? Route based change-out with AMR technology (panhandle routes)
? 2011- ALL meter replacement ? New installation with AMR capabilities
? 2014 ? Escalation of AMR program (CIS precursor)
Components of the AMR Meter Reading System
? Meters
o ?Cash register? for CWW
o Visual reading capability
? Encoders
o Enables meter reading to be communicated remotely
? RE (Radio Frequency) Modules (Meter Interface Unit ? MIU)
o Allow meters to be read from a distance
o No physical contact required, RF systems send a signal to a meter reading
device
? Handhelds and Meter Reading Software
o Collect and analyze data
? Meter Software
o Facilitates migration to billing system and business analytics
? Customer Information System/Billing Software
o Customer is billed for the ?consumption? used from meter reads
AMR Benefits
? Optimizes Meter Reader Efficiency
o Reduce overall meter reading time allowing for monthly meter reading
o Maximizes meter reading success rate/accuracy
? Reduces potential safety concerns and solves reading problems for vaults,
fences, cars on meter boxes, etc.
? Capability to provide value added data: leak, reverse flow and tampering
Status of AMR Deployment
As of January 2015, we have 35,333 meters that have AMR capabilities. This
represents 51% of our total meter population and 49% meters remaining.
AMR Long Term Project Goals
? System wide AMR capabilities by 2020
? Reading Cycle ? Converting to monthly reading (2015)
? Fixed area network evaluation (2016-2017)
o Review deployment of fixed area network
o Review partnering with other utilities (Network sharing)
? Employee Development (Ongoing)
o Meter Reading Training
o Meter Reading Reorganization
Monthly Meter Reading Transition
? Based on the results of the AMR program, CWW is positioned to leverage this
technology to begin Monthly Meter Reading while maintaining our current meter
reading staffing levels.
? After discussing the AMR/Meter Change-Out Program, Board Member Reynolds
Bickerstaff stated he was concerned about combining services or having someone
else read our equipment. ?We have some of the best technicians and staff here
and I would hate to delegate that to someone of lesser quality in our area of
work?. Treasurer Douglass asked if we thought about using Automated Meter
Reading for other counties/Ft. Benning. Mr. Murphy responded yes. He stated
there was an ongoing pilot project where we are installing meters for Ft.
Benning using our AMR technology but being read by Flint Energy. Board Member
Sanders Griffith asked if there was any concern that this would be obsolete by
2020. Mr. Murphy responded yes. He advised that we are trying to manage the
risk with our current technology. The E900 Series meters have encoders that are
compatible with AMR and AMI.
Billing & Meter Reading History
? 1960?s/1970?s
o Meter Reading ? Quarterly
o Customer Billing - Quarterly
? 1980?s/1990?s
o Meter Reading ? Bi-Monthly
o Customer Billing ? Bi-Monthly
? 1996/1997
o Meter Reading ? Pilot Monthly Reading (Internal & Contracted Readers)
o Customer Billing ? Monthly
? 1998 to 2015
o Meter Reading ? Bi-Monthly (+/- 60 day cycle)
o Customer Billing ? Monthly (1/2 of consumption)
? 2015
o Meter Reading ? Monthly (+/- 30 day cycle)
o Customer Billing ? Monthly (total consumption)
Monthly Meter Reading ? Benefits
? Simplification of the Billing Process ? Easy to Understand
o Consumption and billing are closer aligned (30 days), allowing customers more
control to budget for service
o Matches billing practices of other utilities (gas, power, etc.)
? Leaks and other plumbing issues identified in a timely manner which will
reduce a customer exposure to high bills.
? Improved Customer Interaction ? positions meter reading data to be readily
available giving customers a better opportunity to adjust usage
? Long-Term Customer Enhancements
o Budget Billing
o Automated Alerts
o Web Access
? Major Precursor to the Customer Information System (CIS) Deployment which is
currently funded and schedule for replacement in 2015/2016
o CIS has exceeded its useful life (+ 20 years old)
o CIS limited long term support options
o CIS customization difficult to carry over to new CIS platform without
significant long term cost
? Improve Customer Service Experience
o Potentially reduce negative customer service experience related to current
billing practices (cut down on confusion)
o Improved response time to meter malfunction and other customer issues
o Additional customer interfacing platforms including web portals with new CIS
deployment
? Well positioned for Fixed Area Network/AMI (Automatic Meter Information)
exploration
o Current metering infrastructure is turnkey from AMR to AMI
o AMI capabilities will be a functional requirement of new CIS system
o Leverage meter reading information to enhance customer service. Real time /
near real time data available to customer (current meter reading, consumption
usage patterns, final reads/billing, etc.).
Monthly Meter Reading ? Customer Impact
? With our current billing methodology, customers have 30 days of usage
outstanding at any given point in time
? Converting to monthly reading will require customers to have a one time
?catch-up? to pick up the outstanding usage
Monthly Meter Reading ? Deployment Strategy
? Planning and preparing for this conversion has been paramount
o Conversion Committee ? multiple representatives from Customer Service,
Accounting/Billing, Meter Maintenance, Communication and Information Services.
This group has been tasked with developing the overall project plan including:
? Initiation ? objectives, scope and responsibilities
? Planning ? defining and refining best course of action(s)
? Execution ? coordinating resources
? Monitoring & Control ? ability to react and adapt during deployment
? Close Out
? Communication Plan ? One of the main drivers for a successful transition will
be a comprehensive communication/public relations strategy. Media Marketing
and More, Inc. (Marquette McKnight), along with our conversion team, have been
tasked with the development and deployment of this critical component.
? Project Messaging
o Scripted response for all staff and Board members to have in hand when
talking with customers along with establishing a stakeholder/speaker bureau so
that we can go out to the community and actually have discussions about what
this conversion means.
o Focus Group development and facilitation ? Assess comprehension, evaluate
reactions and test messaging
o Media Campaign ? Television, radio and newspaper
o Website and Social Media
? Website integration of messaging
? Social media utilization of messaging
? Facebook
? YouTube
Monthly Meter Reading ? When to Start?
? The plan is to stagger the deployment over a 2-month period
o Route Numbers 78 ? 160 in April 2015
o Route Numbers 1 ? 77 in May 2015
o Reading entire system by June 1st
? By staggering the deployment, CWW will be able to better respond to the
projected upswing in customer interactions related to the change
? Customer Service/Call Center staff will be augmented for this conversion
period for any customer that has an issue.
Why April/May?
? April and May are historically lower consumption periods and will have the
least negative impact on our customers.
? The residential average billed usage for this timeframe is 7 ccf which
equates to +/- $45.00
Customer Impact
? Since this project will have a financial impact to our customers
o A standard payment plan option has been developed which will spread the
outstanding balance over a 3-month period
o Supervisory staff authorized to work with individual customers if standard
payment plan need additional adjustments due to hardships
Next Steps
? Committee meeting weekly to discuss open items and adjust accordingly
? Communication Plan items:
o Messaging ? Scripting and layouts
o Focus(s) ? test messaging and incorporate feedback
o Media Campaign Kick-Off week of March 9th
? Update Board ? Highlight Communication items from Marquette McKnight at
February meeting
After a lengthy discussion, the Board acknowledged Mr. Murphy?s Report.
President Davis provided the following items of information to the Board:
? Gwen Ruff was selected to serve on the MidTown, Inc. Board of Directors for
2015.
? Email from Dick Norman commending Jason Martinez and his crew for all their
help in solving his underground water issue.
? Gwen Ruff and Paula Goble received an email from Betsy Covington, President &
CEO, Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, Inc., for giving her the
opportunity to speak at CWW?s Resource Advisory Group.
The following Division Reports were provided to the Board:
? Customer Service Report ? Linda Sanders
? Meter Maintenance Report ? Joey Murphy
? Engineering Report ? Kevin White
? Field Services Report ? Jeremy Cummings
? Information Services, Environmental Compliance and WQM Report ? Vic Burchfield
? Communication, Security, Community/Corporate Events Report ? Becky Butts
? Strategic Planning and Employee Services Report ? Savonne Monell
? Water Resource and Managed Maintenance Report ? Lynn Campbell
There was no discussion.
The regular meeting adjourned and senior staff and the Board went in Executive
Session to discuss a legal matter concerning the Georgia/Florida lawsuit.
Upon coming out of Executive Session, the Board and staff went back in the
regular meeting. There was no action taken.
The meeting adjourned.
______________________________________
Emory E. Blount, Secretary
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