The Washington City Council once again heard a proposal on automatic meters for city utilities.

The presentation at Monday’s meeting, by Sensus Metering Systems, was along the lines of what the council heard in the fall of 2008 and was an issue of contention earlier this year.

In the latest presentation, the city would change to automatic meters gradually and not all at once.

“(Automatic meters) gives you the ability to manage your utilities from an efficiency standpoint,” Jeff Cunningham with Sensus said.

During the presentation, Cunningham said a tower would be placed on the water tower east of the city near Bedford Road. The meters would send a radio signal to the tower on usage, which would be sent to the utility office.

The automated readers would eventually phase out manual meter readers in the future, depending on how many automated readers were installed.

Some communities, like Loogootee and Bicknell, use meters that send out a radio signal but the signal is collected by a reader on a handheld device.

Cunningham said the use of automated readers would save the city money on readers and some service calls.

“We’re not sending out meter readers anymore so that is a huge savings,” Cunningham said.

Mayor Larry Haag said if the program goes through, meter readers would not lose their jobs but would be sent to other positions in the city utility.

“They are much more valuable to us in a return to maintenance,” Haag said. “We have needs at the water and electric department.”

Although a dollar figure was not mentioned, Haag said the proposal would be “hundreds of thousands” less than previous costs. In March, the city voted down a utility rate increase because of a $1.1 million plan to install automated meters.

“We are still working at those issues,” Haag said. “We won’t be paying for (all) of it up front.”

The rate increase was approved earlier this year by the council after the automated meter plan was taken out of the increase.

In other business

UTILITY POLE AGREEMENT

The Board of Public Works and Safety approved a new agreement with AT&T; on wooden utility pole usage in the city. AT&T; will be charged $19.20 per every city pole it uses and the city will be charged $12.68 for every telephone pole.

The previous agreement, not changed since 1963, charged $2 per pole. City Attorney Jeff Norris said the city will receive an extra $30,000 a year for pole usage.

“Once again, this is where efficiency pays off,” Haag said after the agreement was approved.

TRICK OR TREATING HOURS

The council set the hours for trick-or-treating during Halloween. Families can go to homes between 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 31.

BID AWARDED

The board awarded a $134,134 bid to Graves Plumbing Company in Switz City for a secondary clarifier at the wastewater treatment plant. The Graves bid was the lowest and the best, Wastewater Superintendent Scott Rainey said.

SIDEWALK COMMITTEE

Towards the end of the council meeting, Haag asked the public for volunteers for a new sidewalk committee. The committee will be working on design and placement of new sidewalks on Main Street.

Two weeks ago, the city received a $500,000 grant for new sidewalks on Main Street. Anyone interested is to contact Haag’s office at 254-5575 by the end of the week.

LIEN RELEASED

The council, and later board of public works, agreed to release a lien the city had placed at an empty lot at 315 Lemon St. A home on the lot had burned down and the city had paid for demolition.

The current owners, Cindy and Richard Halter, bought the property in a tax sale and wish to sell the property. Norris said the city would not be able to collect the lien because it was set in 1997, past the 10-year statute of limitations.

HANDICAPPED SPACE

The board approved the placement of a residential handicapped parking space at 705 E. Walnut St. The requester, according to Street Commissioner Ernie Evans, was having issues because she was wheelchair- and oxygen-bound. Evans also said the space was needed due to Washington High School students parking on the street.