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Water Meter Reading Services ConsultantTHE CITY OF DUB UE Masterpiece crn the. Mississippi MEMORANDUM July 11, 2007 TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: Water Meter Reading Services Consultant Finance Director Ken TeKippe is recommending the selection of HDR Engineering, Inc, to provide a recommendation for review of options relative to water meter reading in an amount not to exceed $31,810. I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council approval. ~~~ ~9 c ~CF'~') Michael C. Van Milligen MCVM/jh Attachment cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager Kenneth J. TeKippe, Finance Director THE CITY OF DuB E ~~ TO: FROM: SUBJECT: DATE: Memorandum Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager Kenneth J. TeKippe, Finance Director ~~~,~,n.,R' "~ ' ~.~~Cy~ Water Meter Reading Services Consultant July 10, 2007 BACKGROUND The purpose of this memo is to provide a consultant recommendation for the review of options relative to water meter reading. A Request for Proposal (RFP) was approved at the May 7, 2007 city council meeting. Our current contract with Aquila expires July 1, 2009. DISCUSSION The RFP was distributed to 14 firms and/or equipment vendors. Proposals were received from HDR, RSM McGladrey and UtiliWorks. The following employees served on the review committee: Ken TeKippe Finance Director Jenny Larson Budget Director Jean Nachtman Assistant Finance Director Rick Till Financial Analyst Rose Hoerner Utility Billing Coordinator Bob Green Water Department Manager Mike Brekke Water Distribution Supervisor Chris Kohlmann Information Services Manager Joe Pregler Information Technology Specialist After the review of the proposals, the unanimous consensus of the committee was to retain the HDR firm for the project. The costs indicated in the three proposals approximated the $30,000 budget. A copy of the HDR proposal is enclosed. Major factors that contributed to the selection include: ^ Experience of firm and personnel assigned to project ^ Knowledge of automated meter reading technology and trends June 7, 2007 Ken Tekippe, Finance Director City of Dubuque 50 West 13`h Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4864 Subject: Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consulting Dear Mr. Tekippe and Selection Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to be considered for providing water meter reading consulting services. Our goal is to provide responsive client-focused consulting and engineering services that produce value to our client. Based on your questions regarding the proposal, we offer the following clarifications: 1) The estimated project fees proposed, based on the scope of work as defined in the proposal would be considered a lump sum not-to-exceed amount of $31,810.00 and can be made part of the final agreement/contract. Any optional services would be at the discretion of the City and written authorization would be required. 2) Regarding assistance with the preliminary selection of meter vendors and equipment, along with installation strategies and projected schedules, all of these items will be developed and are included under Task 4-`Evaluate Options for Meters/ Meter Reading'. Also, a comprehensive discussion of the current meter vendors, equipment, installation, cost, and program schedule will be prepared and presented as part of the final report. Hopefully this addresses your concerns and we look forward to assisting you on this important program. If you or the selection committee, have any other questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at your convenience. Very truly yours, HDR ENGINEERING, INC. Thomas D. Jakubowski Project Manager (262) 251-9020 H[1R Engineering, Inc. ~ ~ :. 1 G P~ FEE 6`" t, z :' ^ Detailed proposal ^ Work with other Iowa and Midwest cites ^ Clarifications provided in June 7th letter ^ Proposal not to exceed $31,810 RECOMMEDED ACTION The recommended action at the July 16, 2007 meeting is for the City Council to approve the selection of HDR as the firm to work with city staff to gather options relative to water meter reading. The project should be completed to be considered for FY '09 capital and operating budget purposes. Please contact me if you have any questions on the process or recommendation. Thank you. KJT/kjt Enclosures ~J~~TT • • r r ~ r ~ 1 • • • 1 1 THE CITY OF DuB E ~-~~ MEMORANDUM April 28, 2007 TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: Request for Proposal (RFP) for Water Meter Reading Services Consultant Finance Director Ken TeKippe is recommending City Council authorization to release a Request for Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consultant Services. I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council approval. ~f ichael C. Van Milligen MCVM/jh Attachment cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager Ken TeKippe, Finance Director THE CITY OF DuB E Memorandum TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager FROM: Ken TeKippe, Finance Director I~ /~~ SUBJECT: Request for Proposal (RFP) for Water Meter Reading Services Consultant DATE: .April 26, 2007 BACKGROUND The purpose of this memo is to provide an RFP for water meter reading consultant services to review the options relative to water meter reading. The current contract with Aquila expires July 1, 2009. The FY'08 budget has $30,000 allocated for the project. The project needs to be completed by early October to be considered for FY'09 capital and operating budget purposes. DISCUSSION A committee will review proposals submitted and provide a recommendation. The tentative time. frame for the RFP process follows: May 8, 2007 Release RFP June 1, 2007 Proposals Due June 22, 2007 Committee Recommendation to City Manager July 2, 2007 City Council Approval of Firm July 3, 2007 Firms Notified of Selection The following City of Dubuque employees are recommended to serve on the review committee: '~ Ken TeKippe r Jenny Larson /Jean Nachtman / Rick Till ~ Rose Hoerner Bob Green Mike Brekke Chris Kohlmann Finance Director Budget Director, Assistant Finance Director Financial Analyst Utility Billing Coordinator Water Department Manager Water Distribution Supervisor Information Services Manager The RFP will be provided to Aquila, Alliant, consulting and engineering firms. RECOMMENDED ACTION The recommended action at the May 7, 2007 meeting is for the City Council to authorize the release of the RFP for Water Meter Reading Consultant Services. KT/jg Enclosure CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Request for Proposal: Water Meter Reading Consultant May 2007 Statement of Qualifications Please provide a statement of your firm's qualifications. Information on the staff or other outside consultants that will work on the project should be detailed. Scope of Services Key responsibilities of the consultant include: * Attend kick off meeting with RFP committee to lay out plans * Review our current outsourced arrangement with Aquila * Review potential partnering with Aquila and/or Alliant * Analyze newer water meter reading technology such as remote reads * Prepare a draft containing the following: • Advantages/disadvantages of continued outsourcing of meter reading function • Prepare analysis of City doing meter reading in house • Provide information on budgets for hardware and software costs • Provide information to consider on alternatives for hardware and software • Equipment and installation costs for various options • Ongoing costs (includes staff) with the various options • Payback calculations for options which require capital outlay • Possibility of partnering with Aquila and/or Alliant • Recap of technology used in other larger cities in Iowa (minimum of 10 largest cities) * Attend draft review meeting with RFP committee and other City officials to finalize plan * Assist in the selection of vendor(s) * Assist in developing equipment and/or installation vendors RFP * Assist in developing a projected schedule for installation * Develop timelines for project * Prepare final report * Available to present at a City Council meeting or work session References Please provide at least three government client references including, at a minimum, the following: * Name of client; * Description of services provided to-the client in the past three years; * Firm's staff that worked with the client; and * Name and telephone number of a client contact person. Insurance The consultant shall adhere to City insurance requirements for professional- services during the term of this agreement as detailed by the insurance schedule attached. Please provide confirmation that the requirements will be met. Insurance certificate can be supplied at a later date by the successful firm. Fees Please provide a fee schedule for services including, at a minimum, the following: * Fee schedule * List of services covered by fees. Specifically state which costs are included in the fee proposal and any costs that are to be reimbursed * Example of services not covered in proposal, but would be available to the City. to consider ~~ Mr. Ken TeKippe Finance Director City of Dubuque SO West 13~' Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4864.- .Subject: Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consulting Dear Mr. TeKippe and Selection Committee: After your review of this proposal, we believe .that you will agree that selecting HDR will provideyou the surest direction for the future of your water metering program. Within . this proposal, we commit to an approach that engages you and key City staff early in the evaluation process to provide a-plan that directly relates to' your given needs and situation. HDR. offers. the following benefits to you for this project: . + Best matched automatic meter reading (AMR) technological solutions will be developed by Tom Jakubowski, a nationally recognized leader in water system ,metering and. water loss management: Real' of AMR systems (versus AMR hype) will be what Tom efficiently brings to you for. this project. • .Unbiased eost/benefit evaluations of various options for City and outsourced meter reading using AMR. and riot using AMR. Torn Jakubowski has experience with, and access to, "real world" applications to best derive true costs and benefits for your various program implementation options. •. Largest "bang"for your study investment "buck"will be achieved through a variety of factors: " o .Tom Jakubowski's inherent. water metering and AMR system knowledge gained through numerous similar projects means he willnot be billing - you "learning curve" time. o Combining the project kickoff meeting and interviews with key City staff within the same trip to reduce travel time and expense. o .Travel time and expenses will be minimal due to close proximity of key ' team members. o Optimum blend of senior and junior level engineers in the data collection and evaluation activities will minimize labor rate average for the project. M8R Es~isi~friq, he. 84041ndian Hills Drive Phoi+e;14021399~1000 Omaha, NE 68114098 Fax: N021399.123s . www.hdrwre.com Thank you for this opportunity to serve the City of Dubuque with value. oriented services focused on your needs. We ask that you select HDR to provide a sure direction for your metering program over the upcoming years. If you have any questions or comments, . please feel free to contact either of us at your convenience. Very truly yours, HDR ENGINEERING, INC. Gi;~~ Daryl A. Kottwitz, VP Thomas D. Jakubowski Project Principal Project Manager {402) 399-1133 (262} 251-9020. MDII Eghuri~~, he. Introduction HDR has attained a national reputation for providing high quality work in a wide array of services that range from finance, planning, operations, engineering, and design. Two unique and highly specialized services that HDR provides is the evaluation of automated meter reading systems and financial planning/rate setting. HDR is widely recognized for our expertise in these two areas and have nationally recognized individuals providing service to our clients in these areas. This section of our statement of qualifications provides a brief overview of HDR and a specific discussion of our qualifications to provide the services that the City of Dubuque is requesting. About HDR Engineering Formed in 1917, HDR Engineering, Inc. provides engineering and consulting services and scientific studies to clients across the U.S. and abroad. HDR is a national firm with over 6,000 employees in 150 offices Nationwide offering a full range of engineering, architectural, environmental, community planning and management consulting services to public and private sector clients. HDR is particularly strong in water and wastewater engineering, as reflected by HDR's 2007 Engineering News Record (ENR) rankings: #10 in the U.S. for water treatment, sewer, solid waste, and desalination; #9 for water and water supply; and # 10 for wastewater treatment. HDR has achieved these rankings by combining innovation with practical, cost-effective solutions which are tailored to the needs of each client. HDR's clients also rank us at the top; our repeat business stands at more than 80 percent, which is a clear indication of client satisfaction and confidence in our capabilities. Automated Meter Reading (AMR) Qualifications of HDR The HDR team has the experience, capability and personnel resources required to successfully provide the City with the needed professional engineering services to provide an update to the residential metering program/residential meter evaluation study. The capability of an organization and its individuals to undertake a project such as Dubuque's residential metering study can be best demonstrated through previous experience. Our carefully selected team of professionals has provided these specialized services for a number of clients. i Our team is familiar with every major universal metering/automated meter reading (AMR) project nationally, and the people who have worked on them. A significant percentage of these projects are our metering/AMR clients. Among the more prominent clients we have provided AMR metering services to include the City of Chicago Department of Water Management; Greater Cincinnati Water Works; Henrico County (Richmond), Virginia; Detroit Department of Water and Sewer; City of Fresno; Boston Water and Sewer Commission; and the City of San Luis Obispo. Additionally, Tom Jakubowski, the project manager committed to you for this project, has helped develop state-of--the-art industry practices by performing research programs involving benchmarking, financial analysis, metering, and water accountability for the American Water Works Association Research Foundation Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consultant Dubuque, Iowa -_~ (AWWARF), the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERE), the Automatic Meter Reading Association (AMRA), the WateReuse Foundation and the National Water Research Institute (NWRI), among others. Project Team Organization and Key Staff Qualifications Introduction A key factor to the success of any project is the experience and expertise of the project team. To be successful in any study, the project team must successfully combine a number of people with different backgrounds and abilities into awell-rounded, comprehensive team. We believe that is the strength of the proposed HDR project team. Our proposed project team for this study has been assembled based upon your specific needs. The project team members have vast experience and skills in the area of water utility rate studies and AMR system evaluations. Provided below is a brief discussion of our proposed project team organization and an overview the key project team members. Project Team Organization Presented below is a graphical overview of the organization of our project team. Mr. Tom Jakubowski will be the Project Manager for this engagement. As Project Manager, he will be responsible for all aspects of the project, including quality control, project schedule and project coordination. Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consultant Dubuque, Iowa Key HDR Project Team Personnel Provided below is an overview of the HDR personnel expected to be assigned to the City's project. More detailed resumes are included at the end of this proposal. Tom Jakubowski, Project Manager Tom Jakubowski has over 26 years of consulting experience in the water industry. For this study, he will be the Manager for the water metering study. He is highly experienced in AMR systems and a technical specialist in the area of water loss management. Tom has been a member of the AWWA National Water Loss Control s Tom Jakubowski's Committee for over 17 years. He was HDR's project manager for the City expertise in AMR system of Chicago, Department of Water Management, metering plan, and is evaluations assures currently working with Henrico County, Virginia, Northern Kentucky Water unbiased cost/benefit District and Fresno, California on AMR evaluation studies. Most recently, evaluations based on "real he assisted the City of Detroit and the City of San Luis Obispo in evaluating world" applications. the expansion of their AMR system. Mr. Jakubowski has been instrumental in the development of various methodologies and techniques enabling accurate data collection and analysis. Mr. Jakubowski has extensive field experience in AMR programs, meter testing and replacement, asset inventory and assessment, leakage investigations, water audits, water loss programs, hydraulic measurements, cost estimating and capital improvement programs. Tom is located in HDR's Milwaukee office, which is only a three hour drive from Dubuque. His national expertise in AMR systems, combined with his ability to travel to Dubuque inexpensively, brings enhanced value to you for this project. Daryl Kottwitz, PE, Project Principal Mr. Kottwitz is a Program Manager and Vice President of HDR having over 22 years of experience with the firm. As Project Principal for your project, Daryl will make certain that company resources are available to support Tom Jakubowski and the rest of the project team to assure your satisfaction and maximize your realized value from this project. Additionally, Daryl will serve as a backup open communication channel for the City and will contact you periodically to confirm that the project is progressing to your satisfaction. Prior to his becoming a program manager, Mr. Kottwitz served as environmental engineer and project manager for various water and wastewater projects in the Midwest and around the country. His technical background, combined with his present responsibilities mean that he can, and will, take steps as necessary to make this project a success for the City of Dubuque. Dave Dechant, PE,' QA/QC Mr. Dechant is a civiUenvironmental engineer with 25 years of creative, client-focused, results-oriented consulting experience. For your project, Dave will review draft deliverables to make sure they are of high quality prior to your receipt. Dave is diverse in his professional and technical background. His experience encompasses project, client service, and operations management responsibilities. Technically, his experience includes planning, predesign, design, construction management, operations, and value engineering on projects related to water supply, treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, and sludge treatment and disposal. Dave has a demonstrated commitment to continuing education and is a frequent presenter at technical conferences. He has experience in hydraulic modeling/evaluation and design and construction of numerous water and wastewater pumping systems. Pat Brown, Data Management Patrick Brown is a project environmental engineer who has earned a Masters Degree in Environmental Engineering at Iowa State University and is an Engineer-in-Training registered in the State of Iowa. Skilled in various software applications, Pat will assist Tom Jakubowski with this project by performing information/data collection and manipulation as needed to support the evaluation process and to clearly justify project recommendations. Mr. Brown's background includes working for US Filter in the research and development of new treatment systems while pursuing his engineering education at Iowa State University. Pat is presently assisting Mr. Dechant with a number of design projects in Cedar Rapids and Davenport. Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consultant Dubuque, Iowa Introduction The City of Dubuque's water system has a water source consisting of four deep wells and five shallow wells providing a raw water delivery capacity of approximately 21 million gallons per day. The water is treated at the Eagle Point Water Treatment plant which utilizes aeration, lime softening, recarbonation, sand filtration, chlorine disinfection, fluoridation, finished water storage and high service pumping. The distribution system includes approximately 15 million gallons of storage and multiple booster pumping stations to reliably serve the public with high quality water. The City typically replaces between 400 and 500 residential water meters per year, primarily due to meter failure, and 20 years or greater meter life is typical. Because of the polished quality of delivered water, there is little perceptible loss of revenue from aged meters falling out of calibration. The City of Dubuque began contracting with Aquila, the local gas utility, for water meter reading services beginning in 1989 with a five year contract. Three five year renewals of the contract were subsequently awarded leading to the present. Just less than 22,000 meters (most of them are Sensus brand touch-read) are now read monthly at a cost of around $10,500, which equates to approximately 50 cents per meter read. Indications are that the costs for meter reading during the term with Aquila have inflated on pace with the Consumer Price Index. While the service by Aquila has been generally good, the City of Dubuque desires to conduct this study to determine whether an alternate approach may be advisable considering economic and other considerations. HDR's team and approach to this study will allow the City of Dubuque to proceed confidently with a meter reading program that makes the most holistic sense for the community considering a number of factors including costs, billings, funding, staffing, customer service and customer relations. HDR brings nationally recognized expertise to you, experienced with similar studies for clients around the nation. This blend of experience and expertise will deliver well thought-out and justifiable recommendations for Dubuque's water meter reading program. AMR Technological solutions best matched to Dubuque's needs and situation will be evaluated. AMR reality (not hype) will prevail in the evaluations. Based on conversations with Dubuque management staff, other items of interest and/or concern to the City of Dubuque include the following, all of which will be addressed in HDR's implementation of the study: • The City of Dubuque has limited reserve funds, meaning that debt would be incurred with any significant capital expenditures. Strategies to minimize debt burdens to the City would facilitate automated meter reading (AMR) system implementation. • Determination of ongoing cost and payback, particularly of a new AMR technology is needed. For Dubuque, a 20 year payback is considered reasonable. • "Drive-by" AMR using radio technology is of interest. • Flexibility and adaptability of AMR technology to accommodate tomorrow's technological and software advancements is of interest. • Understanding of how Iowa communities of similar size and situation are conducting meter reading will provide valuable insight as Dubuque considers various metering options. Regional (outside of Iowa) and national understanding are of potential interest as well. • A minimum of three visits to Dubuque by the consultant are anticipated: o Information Gathering, including meeting(s) likely with Aquila and Alliant and interviews with key City staff o Presentation and review of draft/preliminary recommendations o Presentation and review of final report Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consultant Dubuque, Iowa • The study portion of the project should be completed by mid to late September to allow time for planning and related budgeting for the following year(s). If the decision is made to proceed with AMR technologies, the City of Dubuque may commission additional consulting services to assist with vendor selection, program development, etc. Work Plan/Scope of Work The following work plan/scope of work has been developed to meet the specific needs of the City and are based on the request for proposal. For each task, HDR has attempted to identify the main objective of that task, along with the expected City staff support and project deliverables. Task ~-/nitia/ Metering Kick-Off Meeting Task Objective: Bring the Consultant, City management and City staff together, at the start of the project, to assure that all parties have a mutual understanding of the goals, objectives, issues and concerns related to the meter reading program and AMR system evaluation. The initial kick-off meeting sets the stage for all of the activities to follow and starts the project on a positive note. Following notice to proceed, HDR will schedule the initial kick-off meeting. HDR will work with the City's Project Manager to review and fine-tune project scope, requirements, deliverables and timetable; and establish a protocol for how HDR and City staff will communicate with each other during all phases of this project. During the kick-off meeting, HDR will review the work plan/scope of services with the City's project team to assure that all parties understand the key elements of the study, along with the data requirements and time schedule for the project. It is anticipated that the initial project meeting will be approximately 2 hours in length. Expected City Staff Support for Task 1; Kick-off meeting and ^ Have City key management/project team members attend the meeting. interviews of Clty Deliverables as a Result of Task 1 Initial Metering Kick-off Meeting: management & staff ^ Identification of objectives, issues and concerns by both parties. assure a focus on City ^ Face-to-face meeting to get the study off to a positive start. needs and goals. Task Z-Residential Metering Data Co/%ction Task Objective: Collect the necessary data and information required to provide a successful and comprehensive update of the City's meter reading program and AMR system evaluation. An initial written data request will be provided to the City detailing the data and information required of the residential metering study. HDR will request from the City all available background information, including current meter reading and customer service technologies and processes, policies and procedures, meter data, and interface requirements of other City information systems. HDR will review their data request with the City's metering team to understand what information is readily available, identify who will compile the information, and establish a timetable for compiling it. Expected City Staff Support for Task 2: ^ Gather the data requested from the written data request provided by HDR. Deliverables as a Result of Task 2-Residential Metering Data Collection: ^ An initial written data request to the City. ^ Identification of any data constraints. Task 3-Review Data/Conduct Key Err~p/oyee /nterviews Task Objective: Review the data and information provided by the City and conduct interviews with key City employees to determine and identify key issues, needs, requirements, constraints and sensitivities around the City's meter reading program. Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consultant Dubuque, Iowa After receiving and reviewing background information requested in Task 2, HDR will have a good understanding of the current status of the metering program and the past discussions and decisions concerning it. Working with the City's Project Manager, HDR will identify key City staff members to be interviewed and establish an interview schedule convenient to all parties. Over a one day period, individual interviews will be held with key representatives of all areas that will likely be impacted by the residential metering program. Representatives will include, but not limited to, staff involved in meter reading, billing, customer service, field service, information technology, engineering, and meter maintenance. The interviews are designed to clarify the background information provided in Task 2 and identify organizational issues, needs, requirements and sensitivities that will be incorporated in the Draft and Final Reports. The interviews will be coordinated in conjunction with the initial visit/kick-off meeting. Immediately following the interviews, the HDR Team will present the consolidated observations and findings from the interviews to ensure we have captured and understand all the important issues and needs. Expected City Staff Support for Task 3: ^ Participate in key employee interviews Deliverables as a Result of Task 3-Review Data/Conduct Key Employee Interviews: ^ Interviews with key employees to determine critical issues, needs and requirements. ^ Written consolidation of interview findings and observations. Task Eva/uate Options for Metes/Metes Reading Task Objective: Review with the City the options available for their meter reading program including current and emergingAMR technologies and vendors; and determine the options that align with the City's metering goals and objectives. Options to be reviewed are: 1. Renew an agreement with Aquila for meter reading similar to the present arrangement 2. Utilize City employees for meter reading using existing installed technology 3. Utilize City employees for meter reading in conjunction with a new state-of--the-art automatic meter reading (AMR) technology HDR will review with City staff the various current and emerging automated meter reading (AMR) technologies and vendors, and their relative advantages and disadvantages. The City currently has primarily Sigma brand meters installed within their system but other brands may exist, particularly for larger meters. A key step in evaluation of the metering options and technology, is understanding the City's major goals and objectives for the meter reading program. From the employee interviews and review of the City's past metering evaluations, HDR will be able to establish a clear set of goals and objectives for the City. Tom Jakubowski's inherent water metering and AMR knowledge means he will not be billing you "learning curve" time in addressing these issues From those goals and objectives, HDR will begin the process of evaluating the City's metering options. In this process we will consider, but not be limited to, the following issues: - Choice of technology. What is the most suitable technology? Might a combination of more than one- technology better serve the City's needs? - Deployment strategies. What is the appropriate deployment strategy? What is the appropriate pace of deployment? Should a new meter reading system be deployed in "lock step" with a meter change-out program? Should the City pursue "surgical" or "opportunitistic" deployment strategies, such as installation in specific areas, and at specific times? - Impact on operations. How will an AMR system impact customer service processes? For example, an AMR system may enable the City to notify customers of unusually high consumption before they get the bills, eliminating many phone calls, field visits, and adjustments. How will it support improving the efficiency of distribution operations (e.g., reducing unaccounted-for water) Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consultant Dubuque, Iowa - Impact on staff and staffing levels. To what extent will City employees have to be trained to operate and maintain a new system and how many additional (new) employees may be required and in what roles? - Migration strategies. What technologies today may support potential conversion to different and improved future technologies (i.e. where is the technology headed)? Does this limit choices? - Standards and interoperability. How do the immature state of AMR standards, and the efforts of various organizations like AWWA to develop standards, impact the City's strategies and choices? How will interoperability effect the bidding process, along with the meter and AMR component purchase? - Timing and risk minimization. The AMR market is still maturing; products are evolving and vendors are changing. If the City selects an AMR system, how could it operate the system for many years without fear of obsolescence? How can the City avoid risky sole source supply situations? - Alignment with the City's corporate and customer service strategies. How will a new metering system support the City's overall mission and goals? How will it enable competitive customer service? - Impact on policies. Some policies, particularly regarding customer service, may have to be changed to accommodate and take advantage of the new system. - Integrating with the City's other information systems. How will a new meter reading system integrate with the Department's CIS, GIS, work management systems, hydraulic model, etc.? What are the likely system and data management requirements? - Collaborative opportunities. How is the current outsourced arrangement with Aquila? How might Alliant provide collaborative benefits? Are there collaborative opportunities with other local utilities? - Meter optimization. Are there opportunities to change the size and type of existing meters to improve accuracy, and lower capital and maintenance costs? - New services. To what extent do the City's customers have differing service needs? Is there value in providing new, additional services, such as detailed consumption information, leak detection, sub- metering, or high bill "alerts" to some or all customers? - Political and public relation aspects. What sensitivities among the City's customers, constituents and stakeholders might be created - or need to be addressed - by these changes and the installation of these meters? HDR is familiar with the available technology, and will suggest those that appear to be aligned with the City's objectives. We will review the current AMR marketplace, including expected trends. We will review the status of AMR and water meter encoder standards. At the end of this task, HDR will develop their initial recommendations for AMR technology and an implementation strategy. Also for a general reference, a benchmark summary/recap of the meter reading technology for other cities in Iowa (minimum of l O largest cities) will be included. A cost/benefit analysis of the defined alternatives will then be conducted, exploring the financial impacts of the options, as well as impacts upon staff and operations, and compatibility with the City's current billing software. HDR will develop total life cycle cost and savings projections considering the major technology (e.g., mobile, fixed radio) and deployment strategy (short- versus and long-term deployment, leasing, etc.) alternatives. Economic analysis deals well with only hard, direct costs and benefits. Any business case for AMR must also consider soft and indirect benefits and costs (e.g., enhanced customer service and confidence, the utility's financial strength). HDR will enumerate and quantify these indirect or soft benefits wherever possible. These analyses will enable HDR and the City to quantify and rank alternatives and develop draft recommendations for the implementation strategy. Expected City Staff Support for Task 4: ^ Assist in determining the key parameters and objectives for the City's meter reading program. ^ Assist in identifying potential impacts to staffing levels for City takeover of meter reading functions and for various AMR options. Deliverables as a Result of Task 4-Evaluate Options for Meters/Meter Reading: Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consultant Dubuque, Iowa ^ Review of available AMR technology and City takeover options and their alignment with the City's objectives and current outsource arrangement with Aquila. ^ Recap of meter reading technology used in other larger cities in Iowa (minimum of l O largest cities). ^ Development of cost estimates for each technology (materiaUsupplies + installation) ^ Development of a cost/benefit model and analyses to evaluate the City's options ^ Estimates of staffing levels required to support each City takeover and AMR option ^ Review of the potential impact of integration of the AMR options with the City's current information systems ^ Review of the impact on implementation plans of the various City takeover and AMR options, using the results of the cost/benefit analyses ^ Development of initial recommendations on the meter reading program, AMR technology (if recommended) and implementation plan Task 5-Project Meeting to Review HDR's Metes Reading P~og~ain Recommendations Task Objective: Review with the City management and staff the initial recommendationsfnr the meter reading program. The objective of this meeting is to review the meter reading options explored, and gain feedback regarding each viable option along with the initial HDR recommendations. At the end of this task, a final recommendation will be developed for the meter reading program, including AMR technology (if appropriate) and implementation plan. HDR will conduct a review meeting with City management and staff to review each of the meter reading program options and the anticipated implementation plan for each. The objective of this meeting is to provide the City's management and staff with an opportunity to understand, and review in detail, each of the options explored, their strengths and weaknesses, and to attempt to reach a mutually agreed upon final recommendation for the meter reading program, associated AMR technology (if appropriate) and implementation plan. The proposed meeting is estimated to be an all day meeting and is intended to be an open discussion of the review undertaken by HDR and our thought process used to develop our initial recommendations. It is important that City management and staff be supportive of the final recommendation, but more importantly, understand the basis or reasoning behind that recommendation. The City's ability to communicate the final recommendations in a clear manner will be very helpful and valuable during the implementation process as questions from customers and other City staff arise. At the end of this task, the City and HDR will mutually develop a recommendation on the selected meter reading program, associated AMR technology (if appropriate) and implementation plan (strategy). Expected City Staff Support for Task S: ^ Attend cone-day meeting with RFP committee and other City officials to review the meter reading and AMR options explored and HDR's initial recommendations on meter reading program, associated AMR technology and implementation plan (strategy) ^ Assist in the development of the final recommendations for the meter reading program, associated AMR technology and implementation plan (strategy). Deliverables as a Result of Task 5-Project Meeting to Review HDR's Initial AMR Technology and Implementation Plan: ^ A one-day meeting to review the meter reading program and AMR options explored and HDR's initial meter reading program recommendations, associated AMR technology (if appropriate) and implementation plan (strategy) ^ Development of the final recommendations for the City's meter reading program, AMR technology and implementation plan (strategy) Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consultant Dubuque, Iowa 8 Task f~Written Reports Subtask Objective.• Provide and present a written report to summarize the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the meter reading plan. Upon completion of the final recommendations for the meter reading plan, HDR will develop a final draft written report of the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the metering plan. The written report is intended to be comprehensive in nature and document the activities undertaken as a part of the project. HDR will provide five (5) copies of the draft final report to the City for its review and comment and subsequently meet with the City to review its contents and coordinate final edits. Any comments, suggestions or corrections from the City concerning the draft final report will be incorporated into the final report. Fifteen (10) copies of the final report will be provided to the City. Expected City Staff Support for this task: ^ Review and comment on the draft written report. Work Product Deliverables as a Result of Task t~Written Reports ^ A draft and final written report. ^ A copy of all workpapers used in the preparation of the study. This concludes the work plan/scope of services developed for the Dubuque meter reading plan. Our proposed work plan may be modified to meet the specific needs of the City and optional services may include pilot testing, site visits, AMR procurement, additional City Council meetings andlor work sessions, along with implementation and program management. Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consultant Dubuque, Iowa AMR Projects and Client References rtt~x was retamea ny the Lity of Lmcago, liepartment or water Management to provide a Metering Plan and a Benchmarking Study City of Chicago, Dept of of the plan. This effort is part of Mayor Daley's Chicago Water Water Management Agenda 2003 with water conservation being a key element. 1000 East Ohio Street Currently, the majority of Chicago residences are charged a flat fee Chicago, Illinois 60611 for water and not by the amount of water consumed. The metering Mr. Casey Koniarski, P.E. plan developed a detailed approach to install approximately 325,000 Sr. Project Manager meters with automated meter reading (AMR) technology. In (312) 742-5933 addition, HDR will use the installation information gathered in conjunction with existing data on Chicago's meter population (approximately 160,000 meters) to create a detailed cost estimate for the installation of AMR technology for the existing meters. As an ongoing part of this work, HDR also completed a benchmarking study of the metering plan. The benchmarking study included the review of current technologies for Universal Metering and Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) technologies. Several water utilities were contacted throughout the United States and Canada to provide data on water meter plan development, installation, customer service, billing and financing. Results of this study allowed the City of Chicago to gage the probability of success of their plan by utilizing the lessons learned by these utilities. Tom Jakubowski was the Project Manager for HDR on the City's study. HDR conducted an evaluation of the feasibility and cost effectiveness of Northern Kentucky implementing Automated Meter Reading (AMR), as well as reviewing Water District current meter reading and related operations. This involved analysis of 100 Aqua Drive billing system records and interviews with utility staff to gain an Cold Spring, KY 41076 understanding of current metering operations. Various alternative meter Mr. Rusty Collinsworth reading system technologies were analyzed based on key implementation Field Service Supervisor issues and risks. HDR developed acost/benefit model to evaluate and (859) 578-9898 Ext. 3303 rate each technology relative to one another. Financial impacts based on '~ ` =- - monthly versus quarterly reading schedules were also evaluated. A preferred technology and replacement strategy was identified, with impacts upon staffing, operations, and current information technology systems detailed. HDR provided technical assistance to Henrico County as it has evaluated and formulated a service meter replacement program. HDR County of HenriCo conducted a review of the existing metering program and identified Parham & Hungary Springs Rd key challenges and obstacles facing the County. A review of available Richmond, VA 23273 metering technologies was performed, including interviews with Ms. Evelyn McGuire vendors. HDR developed a sample test program to evaluate accuracy Utilities Controller of the existing meters in order to prioritize replacement. AMR was {804) 501-4442 th f h l d t d l t d l d e pre erre no ec ogy an a rep acemen program was eve ope incorporating this technology. HDR continues to provide assistance to the County, currently in the form of preparing the bid specifications, selecting vendors for acquisition and help with the implementation process Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consultant Dubuque, Iowa 10 In concert with a water and wastewater rate structure and billing system City of San Luis Obispo evaluation, HDR reviewed available alternatives for AMR technology 879 Morro Street and advised the City of San Luis Obispo on recommended systems and a San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 potential implementation strategy. HDR conducted a series of individual Mr. John Moss interviews with representatives of all areas that are likely to be impacted Utilities Director by an AMR system. The interviews were designed to clarify and identify (805) 781-7205 the City's issues, needs, and requirements for AMR. HDR then reviewed k~-~ ~ ~'~ N~ s ~ ~=~=_ with City staff the various current and emerging AMR technologies and vendors, and their relative advantages and disadvantages. The costs of implementing AMR were quantified, along with the potential of changing from bi-monthly billing to monthly billing. HDR then developed recommendations for next steps, including the potential choices for technology, implementation strategies, and the need for additional and more detailed analyses/studies on the final choices. HDR Engineering, Inc. as a professional engineering firm maintains professional liability insurance that exceeds the City's minimum requirements, as stated in their request for statement of qualifications. Schedule of Estimated Fees for Water Meter Reading Consulting Services Labor: Task 1: Initial Metering Kick-Off Meeting $2 720 Task 2: Residential Metering Data Collection 3 910 Task 3: Review Data/Conduct Employee Interviews 6 030 Task 4: Evaluate Options for Meters/Meter Reading 8 970 Task 5: Project Meeting to Review Initial Recommendations 3,820 Task 6: Written Reports 4,730 Total Labor $30,180 Expenses: Total Reimbursable Expenses (Travel, lodging, meals, technology) $1,630 Total Estimated Fees The above fee estimate is based upon the work plan/scope of services previously presented. HDR is willing to negotiate a final fee based upon a final agreed upon scope of services. This fee estimate does not include assistance for selection of vendors, assistance in developing an equipment and/or installation vendors RFP, assistance in developing a detailed project schedule for implementation, nor presentation at a City Council Meeting or work session. These activities would be provided upon City authorization at an agreed to scope and additional fee for services. Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consultant Dubuque, Iowa 11 This section of the proposal presents our estimated fees for the City's study. In developing this fee estimate, HDR utilized current hourly billing rates, and estimated the hours, by task and by individual. Thomas D. Jakubowski - Project Manager Thomas has more than 26 years of experience working with consulting engineering firms in the water industry. He has been involved with the analysis of over 300 municipal water distribution asset maintenance/management programs. These programs include metering programs/AMR, comprehensive asset inventory, condition assessment, performance evaluation and water accountability. He has led programs in Detroit, Chicago, Boston (MWRA), Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Miami-Dade, Durham, N.C., Syracuse, N.Y., Portland, Ore., and numerous other national and international cities. Mr. Jakubowski's overall responsibility is for developing work schedules, supervising managers, reviewing field work, editing final reports, and client liaison. He is also responsible for project approach and budget control and performs review of prof ects spanning the scope of water distribution expertise. He is a technical specialist in the area of water loss management and has been a member of the AWWA National Water Loss Control Committee for over 17 years. Thomas has been instrumental in the development of various methodologies and techniques enabling accurate data collection and analysis. He has extensive field experience in asset inventory and assessment, leak investigations, water audits, water loss programs, hydraulic measurements, cost estimating and capital improvement programs. Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, University of WI Milwaukee, 1987 Professional American Water Works Association, Member Environment City of San Luis Obispo, Automated Meter Reading Evaluation, San Luis Obispo, CA. Project Engineer. The City had a limited number of AMR locations and wanted to understand the potential options for expanding AMR with the City, and the financial implications of expanding AMR. HDR conducted a review and comparison of the AMR technologies available to the City and the feasibility of implementation within the context of a potentially changing metering and billing systems. At the same time, the City was interested in moving from bi-monthly billing to monthly billing and wanted to understand the operational and cost advantages of AMR versus their current read/bill approach. City of Chicago, Metering Plan Development and Benchmarking Study, Chicago, IL. Project Manager. HDR was retained by the City of Chicago, Department of Water Management to provide a Metering Plan and a Benchmarking Study of the plan. Developed a detailed approach to install approximately 325,000 meters with AMR technology, which established future water rates to finance the meter program. Using this information, HDR created a detailed cost estimate for the installation of AMR technology for the existing meters. As an ongoing part of this work, HDR also completed a benchmarking study. Henrico County Dept of Public Utilities, Henrico County Water Meter Program, Richmond Heights, VA. HDR is developing a water meter program for the County of Henrico that will maximize the accurate recording of water used by customers. A detailed evaluation and plan for the most cost-effective approach to the replacement of large, intermediate, and small water meters will be provided, along with an evaluation of benefits and costs associated with AMR. Northern Kentucky Water District, Automated Meter Reading Evaluation, KY. Project Manager. Directed an evaluation of feasibility of AMR implementation. Included analysis of an existing metering program and technologies. Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consultant Dubuque, Iowa ~p r Daryl A. Kottwitz, PE -Project Principal Mr. Kottwitz is a Program Manager and Vice President of HDR having over 22 years of experience with the firm. Prior to his becoming a Program Manager, he served as environmental engineer and project manager for various water and wastewater projects in the Midwest and around the country. As project manager and environmental engineer Mr. Kottwitz has provided a variety of services including studies, predesign reports, design, bidding, construction administration and facility start-up. His technical experience includes: wastewater collection, pumping and treatment; water supply, distribution and treatment; sludge processing and disposal; stormwater pumping; instrumentation and control, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), and telemetry systems. The following projects represent a sampling of Mr. Kottwitz's experience: Capital Improvements Plan Implementation, Davenport Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP), Davenport, Iowa. Project Principal for the implementation of a five year capital improvements plan for the Davenport WPCF. Project elements include biosolids dewatering system replacement, integration of biosolids facilities with nearby composting facility, renovation of influent pumping station, energy management study, CIP planning and technical assistance for mechanical, electrical, structural, mechanical and process issues /needs throughout the WPCF. Council Bluffs, Iowa. Prepared study evaluating existing water pollution control facilities relative to current and anticipated future hydraulic and organic loadings to develop basis of design for increasing facility capacity. Study included evaluation of alternative facility modifications for expanding wastewater treatment capacity, increasing sludge handling capabilities and upgrading existing facility. City Of Des Moines Iowa, Des Moines Wastewater Reclamation Facility Emission Reduction, Des Moines, IA. Project Principal. Odorous emissions assessment, development and prioritization of removal strategies, and design of emission reduction facilities. Project is critical to the successful development of a technology park adjacent to the water reclamation facility. City of Ames, Digester Gas Handling System Improvements at Water Pollution Control Plant, Ames, IA. Project Principal for the evaluation of existing cogeneration system reliability benefits for the City. Wastewater System Optimization, Lincoln, Nebraska. Review of the process/operations, maintenance, management, budget, costs and staffing for two wastewater treatment facilities, collection system, wastewater and laboratory system for optimizing facility operations and management. Through a highly interactive process with City operations, maintenance and management staff, process and management strategies were developed to reduce the cost of wastewater operations to levels more competitive with private sector practices, while providing suitable levels of service for the community. Wastewater System SCADA System Upgrade and Design, Lincoln, Nebraska. The project was for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system coordination, design and upgrade for two wastewater treatment facilities. The first task for the project was to evaluate existing operations, including labor requirements, process performance and operational costs to develop cost effective and justifiable process automation strategies. Follow-up design and construction of the SCADA system improvements were performed based on these evaluations. Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consultant Dubuque, Iowa 13 David M. Dechant, PE - QA/QC Mr. Dechant is a civil/environmental engineer with 25 years of creative, client-focused, results-oriented consulting experience. His experience encompasses project, client service, and operations management responsibilities. Technically, his experience includes planning, predesign, design, construction management, operations, and value engineering on projects related to water supply, treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, and sludge treatment and disposal. Dave has a demonstrated commitment to continuing education and is a frequent presenter at technical conferences. He has experience in hydraulic modeling/evaluation and design and construction of numerous water and wastewater pumping systems. The following projects represent a sampling of Mr. Dechant's experience: Comprehensive Water Study Update, Amana Colonies. Project manager for a Comprehensive Water Study Update for the Amana Colonies. The update identified improvements to increase water quantity and quality, address the age and condition of the existing system, and meet current and anticipated future regulatory requirements of existing facilities. The update also identified costs, evaluated funding options, and assessed revenue requirements and user costs for various organizational options. Fort Collins (Colorado) Water Treatment Facility Master Plan. Project manager for review of the Fort Collins (Colorado) Water Treatment Facility Master Plan prepared by another consulting firm to reconcile the difference between the $40 to $70 million of capital improvements recommended and the $30 million of capital funding available. Value Engineering Studies. Performed value engineering studies for the 12 mgd Fort Smith (Arkansas) Lee Creek Water Treatment Plant; the 32 mgd expansion of the Cobb-County Marietta Water Authority (Georgia) Wyckoff Water Treatment Plant; the 30 mgd Castaic Lake Water Authority (California) Second Water Treatment Plant; and the 5 mgd Louisville (Colorado) Water Treatment Plant. Water and Wastewater Master Plan Updates, Loveland, CO. Led the water treatment plant siting and sizing, and treatment plant optimization tasks, and overseeing the preparation of Water and Wastewater master plan updates for the city of Loveland, Colorado. of Science, mental Engineering, ~ity of Iowa, 1980 of Science, Civil ng, Kansas State ~, 1976 rofessional essional Engineer, Iowa, 13723, 1996 Professional Affiliations American Public Works Association (APWA), Member Water Works ~n, Member Environment ~tion, Member Iowa Water Pollution Control Association, Member UV Pilot Study, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Oversaw the hydraulic analysis and design of piping, fittings, valves, support systems, electrical conduit and wiring, control wiring, and related appurtenances to support installation of a pilot W disinfection system at the Cedar Rapids Northwest Water Treatment Plant. Plant Headworks Improvements Project, Cedar Rapids. Oversaw the design of $3.3 million Plant Headworks Improvements Project for 45 mgd Cedar Rapids (IA) J Avenue Water Treatment Plant. The project included a new cascade aerator structure, a new rate water metering vault, and significant consolidation of raw and finished water piping on the plant site. Potable Water Master Plan, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Prepared a potable water master plan for Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that addressed source of supply, transmission, treatment, pumping, storage and distribution needs. Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consultant Dubuque, Iowa 14 Patrick A. Brown -Data Management Patrick Brown is a project environmental engineer who has earned a Masters Degree in Environmental Engineering at Iowa State University and is an Engineer-in-Training registered in the State of Iowa. He has experience in the evaluation, design and specification of treatment systems and is skilled in various software applications utilized in engineering evaluations and design. Mr. Brown's background includes working for US Filter in designing, installing and operating new treatment systems while pursuing his engineering education at Iowa State University. His Masters graduate work evaluated the influence of varied hydraulic retention times on biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal for wastewater treatment systems. City of Cedar Rapids, Water Pollution Control Facility Biosolids Storage, Cedar Rapids, IA. Engineer for the design of improvements to the solids handling and storage processes. Work included preparation of design calculations, cost evaluation, plans and specifications for stabilized sludge conveyors, storage building and site storm water and sanitary sewer improvements. City of Cedar Rapids, Morgan Creek Lift Station Expansion and Rehabilitation, Cedar Rapids, IA. Engineer for project to recommend modifications to expand capacity and rehabilitation of existing waste water lift station. Project requires hydraulic analysis of existing and proposed conveyance system and report writing. 'r of Science, onmental Engineering, State University, 2006 of Science, Civil ng, Iowa State ~, 2005 Engineer in Training, Iowa, No. 16097, 2005 City of Davenport Water Pollution Control and Compost Facility ' ' Improvements, Davenport, IA. Engineer for the design of improvements to the solids dewatering, handling and storage processes. Responsibilities included evaluation for replacement of solids dewatering equipment, conveyance and storage of dewatered sludge to compost facility. Combined Sewer Overflow Control Program, Omaha, NE. Engineer for a large, multi-disciplined study to recommend improvements to the City's sanitary and storm water conveyance and treatment system. Prepared probable cost estimations and comparison of potential improvements. Wastewater Denitrification Pilot Study, US Filter As a research engineer, worked on the design, operation, and evaluation of a pilot scale wastewater denitrification system. The goal of the study was to determine the feasibility of modifying a typical effluent sand filter to provide biological nitrogen removal. Evaluation of New Sand Filter Under-Drain System, US Filter Evaluated the hydraulic characteristics of the backwash system of a new modular sand filter under-drain system with an extensive test program. Wrote reports for product development and engineering staff to aid in the design and installation of the system. Arsenic Removal Studies, US Filter Research Engineer involved with several studies of arsenic removal from drinking water. Responsibilities included evaluation and testing of new filter media and filter systems. Nitrate Removal from Drinking Water Pilot Study, US Filter Worked as member of the research and development team on the construction, operation and evaluation of a pilot scale system to removal nitrate from drinking water. Proposal for Water Meter Reading Consultant Dubuque, Iowa 15