Agenda

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City Council Regular Meeting

Meeting Date:

09/10/2019

BACKGROUND

The meter change out project started when the contract for meter purchase and installation was approved with HydroPro Solutions by Resolution 19-R-90 on August 14, 2018.

The funding for this utility system upgrade project was with the Certificates of Obligation Bond Series 2018 approved by council on July 18, 2018.

Up to $4 million was identified for the project but the contract with HydroPro was awarded for $3.7 million.

The original contract with HydroPro did include a customer portal that citizens could use to view and track their water usage. It had the ability to atomically send notices to customers who had signed up when a leak was detected or when their usage had reached a certain point set by the customer.

What it didn't do was have the ability to show billing information, take payments, and show bills and payment history. To pay bills staff would put a link in the customer portal to the existing payment website where customers would use a septate login and password to make payments.

The current payment site only shows customers a total outstanding balance and has the ability to set up auto draft or make a payment. Partial bill payments are not allowed so each transaction must be made for the entire outstanding amount.

The proposed improvement will combine and enhance both features into one online system. With one log in, customers will be able to view their usage information in charts and graphs as well as see past billing information.

Staff believes requiring multiple log ins and websites to fully utilize the available services online would deter many potential users in the community. This would limit the benefit for the customers and staff, resulting in the new program being not as efficient or effective.

GOAL

To provide an enhanced customer service portal and an increase in customer service.

COMMUNITY BENEFIT

The community will have a new level of access, insight, and control over their water usage through this new product. Customers can get instant leak alerts or an alert once their consumption, or total bill estimate, reaches a certain level set by the customer.

With the recommendation to contract with Tyler Technologies, the ability to pay utility bills will be integrated directly into the portal and the City's accounting system.

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED ACTION

Approve the proposal from Tyler Technologies to provide an enhanced utility customer portal experience to the City's customers.

FISCAL IMPACT

The enhanced portal will come with additional costs to be absorbed by the Water & Sewer Utility:

Software Implementation	$12,240
Annual Maintenance Year 1	$26,650
Annual Maintenance Year 2	$26,790
Annual Maintenance Year 3	$26,937

Funding would come from existing water revenue with no change in fees.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends the approval of Resolution No. 19-T-124 to accept the proposal from Tyler Technologies.

Attachments
Resolution 19-R-124
Exhibit A