CITY OF HOMER City Manager

HOMER, ALASKA

ORDINANCE 04-43

EMERGENCY ORDINANCE

AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF HOMER, ALASKA, AUTHORIZING THE EXPENDITURE OF WATER AND SEWER RESERVE ACCOUNT FUNDS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $15,775.00 TO PURCHASE A NEW WATER METER READING SYSTEM AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTS.

WHEREAS, The City of Homer has a Badger Meter Reading System that accommodates 1400 water meters; and

WHEREAS, There are more than 1400 meters within the City's System; and

WHEREAS, After the meters were read for the July billing, the system crashed and the information was lost; and

WHEREAS, Numerous hours have been spent identifying the problem, estimating the July meter readings for the July billing cycle, calming utility customers and inputting information; and

WHEREAS, The City Meter Reader will have to spend much time and effort to read the meters for August to facilitate accurate billing and

WHEREAS, The Finance Staff will have to spend much time and effort into manually inputting the information and correcting information; and

WHEREAS, The Finance Director estimates that it will cost approximately $200.00 per billing month, with greater than 1400 meters, for an additional expenditure of $2,400.00 without the purchase of the system; and

WHEREAS, The new Badger Hardware and Software Package will enable the City to provide much better service to its Customers and sharply reduce the number of hours that are presently devoted to Meter Reading thus increasing productivity and freeing staff to work on other important tanks.

NOW, THEREFORE, the City of Homer Ordains and the City Council finds that:

Section 1. A public emergency exists with the Water Meter Reading System and that funds should be appropriated from the Water/Sewer Reserve Account to eliminate this emergency as follows: Page Two

Ordinance 04-43

Emergency Ordinance

City of Homer

Account No. Description Amount

Funding Water and Sewer Reserve Fund $15,775.00

Source 215-378

Expenditure New Badger Hardware and Software Package $15,775.00

Account 215-378 (includes training and 50 new remote reading meters)

Section 2. The City Manager is authorized to execute the appropriate documents and to proceed with this emergency expenditure.

Section 3. This ordinance is an emergency ordinance and is a budget amendment only, is not of a permanent nature and is a non code ordinance.

PASSED AND ENACTED by the Homer City Council this 23rd day of August, 2004

CITY OF HOMER

____________________________ JACK CUSHING, MAYOR

ATTEST:

_____________________________________

MARY L. CALHOUN, CMC, CITY CLERK

Emergency Ordinance: August 23, 2004.

Effective Date: August 24, 2004

Ayes: 6

Noes: 0

Abstain:0

Absent: 0

Reviewed and approved as to form and content:

___________________________ Walt E. Wrede City Manager Gordon Tans, City Attorney

___________________________ Date Date

Fiscal Note: Fiscal information included in body of Ordinance.

/mlc