Shown from left are Mentone Town Councilman Tim Croy, Clerk-Treasurer Amanda Yaprak, Councilwomen Jill Gross and Shelly Krueger and town attorney Austin Rovenstine. Photo by Jackie Gorski, Times-Union.

By Jackie Gorski
Times-Union

MENTONE — Mentone Town Council opened three bids Thursday, April 24 to replace water meters in town. This is the second time the town has sent out for bids to replace the water meters.

The town first bid for water meter replacement in February. On Feb. 28, Commonwealth Engineers opened three bids for the work. During the council’s April 2 meeting, town attorney Austin Rovenstine said there was a technical issue that could put the town out of compliance with the bidding statute. He stated the council is supposed to be the ones opening the bids and he didn’t think the council could delegate that responsibility to someone else.

During that meeting, the council rejected all bids and approved rebidding the project.In the bids, there were two main water meter reading systems that were included with replacing the meters: Automated Meter Reading and Advanced Metering Infrastructure.

Clerk-Treasurer Amanda Yaprak said the town currently has meters with the AMR software. Data can be collected by having town employees by walking or driving by the residences. With the AMI system, data can be collected within the clerk-treasurer’s office and town employees don’t have to go out and collect the data.

Thursday, the first bid opened was Everett Prescott Inc. Their bid included prices for meters with an AMR system at $153,030; meters with an AMI system at $202,102; and an alternate bid price for a composite meter, which is a durable “metal” type of water meter, at $86,400.

Utility Pipe Sales’ bid included prices for the AMI system at $161,040.95 and the AMR system at $129,353.05.

Utility Supply Company’s bid was $165,104.60 for the AMR system and $189,918.88 for the AMI system.

The bids were taken under advisement.

Yaprak said she, Utilities Superintendent Josh Shepherd and Commonwealth will have to go through the bids to see if they met all the requirements as requested. She said she can give the council all the pros and cons of all the products at their next meeting.