Belle aldermen voted to table conversations about the water meter replacement project on Dec. 8, now expected to exceed $300,000 since bids were opened, until a Dec. 22 special meeting.

During the Nov. 10 city meeting, Public Works Director Tony Baretich told the board that the city lost 2.4 million gallons of water, meaning no one was charged for it, out of the 5 million gallons that were used. He recommended that the city begin the process of updating and replacing the city’s water meters. The board voted to send the water meters out for bid.

Mayor Steve Vogt began the discussion about the installation of the water meters under new business by opening the one sealed bid.

“This is from TNT Underground Construction, Incorporated, out of Bland,” Vogt began.

The company provided bids based on the specs that were provided by Baretich, including changing out around 700 water meters with replacement meters provided by the city, within the city limits of Belle.

“They priced each section on a bid scheduled based off of what was stated,” Vogt continued.

The bid included the following items:

Replace existing radio-read three-quarter-inch water meters inside residential basements. The city would be responsible for coordinating with homeowners and making sure the meters are complete and functional: $6,576;

Replace existing radio-read three-quarter-inch water meters inside residential basements. The city would be responsible for making contact with homeowners, if work needs to be conducted during weeknights or weekends to accommodate homeowners’ schedule, completed and functional: $2,000;

Replace existing radio-read three-quarter-inch water meters in existing outside meter pits complete and functional: $29,750;

Includes required excavation, clean-up, and surface restoration, seeding and mulching complete areas: $5,000;

Dispose of existing water meter pit and accessories, includes required excavation, clean-up, surface restoration, seeding and mulching and everything completely in place: $11,600;

Replace radio-read three-quarter-inch water meters in the meter pits that are built up with soil and mud that must be cleaned out to below the meter yoke and service lateral lines, dispose of excess soil, mud, clean yoke and accessories before replacing the meter completely in place: $10,000;

Replace radio-read one-inch existing outside meters in meter pits: $1,350;

Replace radio-read two-inch existing outside meters in meter pits: $1,476; and

Install new radio-read two-inch water meter in new meter pits with yokes and accessories over existing service lateral, includes required excavation, clean-up, and surface restoration, seeding and mulching disturbed areas, complete and in place: $2,200.

Note: The city of Belle will provide the radio-read meters, yokes, resetters, meter pits, lids, and meter fittings. Contractors will provide all labor, excavating equipment, tools, seed and mulch, etc., to make complete and functional meter installations, clean up and restoration of disturbed areas.

The meters being replaced in the pits must — to be installed — be parallel to the lid of the pit.

Bringing the total base bid to $69,952 for roughly 718 meters.

Baretich said they have arranged in the bid for the city to handle all of the parts and supplies so the installer is not charging a 10 percent mark-up on their parts to the city. He estimates they will need roughly $15,000 for parts to match what was in the $69,952 contractor bid, but he wants to overestimate the installation because they don’t know what they are getting into with most pieces being underground.

“So the numbers that he is giving you there includes installing meters in places we don’t have meters that we will bill,” Baretich said. “We have residences right now, for whatever reason, that currently don’t have meters. This would install meters on them too.”

The city currently bills for around 698 residences, but there are some residences that are vacant and some that still don’t have meters. There are also churches, parks and city buildings that aren’t charged but need to be metered.

Alderman Tony Gieck asked if they are going to take all basement meters out and replace them with outside or curbside meters? Or if they would purchase meters with automatic reconnect and shut-off?

“There are a couple of different meter options on that in the meter bids,” Baretich said. “Yes and no. So when we bid that section, we tried to identify some of the problem areas with being able to shut meters off primarily due to lack of payment — and tried to get a number quantified with those problem areas. We had them bid just that number for the automatic shut-offs.”

The residences that have basement meters but pay their bills will receive new meters in the same location as their old ones.

“There is a substantial price difference between the ones you can shut-off with a button versus the ones you can’t,” Baretich continued.

Gieck asked if they would be doing anything with the residences that have one meter, but the water splits off to four or five apartments.

“I don’t know what our options are there,” Baretich said. “They have one existing tap coming off of our main, I don’t know what our legal authority would be to force them to change any of that.”

Baretich suggested putting remote shut-off meters in those units. Gieck said he agreed.

“They don’t typically get shut-off,” said City Clerk Frankie Hicks. “I make a call to the landowner and he makes several attempts -- I am dealing with one with him now that he can’t shut-off and is supposed to be able to shut-off -- because it shuts off some for the upstairs apartment and some for the downstairs apartment.”

Hicks said she told the property owner they need to figure out something. The landowner agreed to disconnect the apartment, but there is an individual living there that has not paid in some time.

“I can’t shut them off because it shuts off part of upstairs and part of downstairs,” Hicks said.

Alderman Jeanette Struemph suggested having the landowner pay the bill and Hicks said she thinks they should have to since they own the residence.

Gieck asked Baretich if he had a price for the new meters available.

“Coming up,” Baretich said as he pulled a second bid for meters.

“That was just installation and did not include the price for the meters themselves,” Vogt clarified.

Hicks asked the board if they would be making a motion to accept the installation bid. Alderman Courtney Abel suggested they make a decision on the installation of the meters now since they do need to be changed. Gieck said he wanted to see the price first. The board voted 4-0 to table the installation bid discussion until after discussing the meter bids. They later went back to the bid and accepted it with a 4-0 vote.

“Just to lock it into place,” Gieck said.

The board plans to meet during a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 22 to further discuss which meter style they would like to purchase.