Pictured is Derek Wilson being sworn in by solicitor Alison Boggs as a councilmember of the Milford Center Village Council at Monday night’s meeting. He will also serve as the chairperson of the parks, events, recreation and community committee. Wilson joins Ron Payne as one of the new members of the council after November’s election. Incumbent councilperson Don Jones was also sworn in at the meeting.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Jacob Runnels)
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The Village of Milford Center is looking to replace its water meters in the future.
At Monday night’s meeting, Stantec water principal Gary Silcott Jr. talked to the village council about what options Milford Center has for water meters. Silcott helped the village with water meter replacements in 2004 as well.
“Depending on how you do it, it’s like buying a car, you can buy a cheap car or a nice car,” Silcott said. “They also have technology today that’s a lot cheaper than it used to be.”
Council member Jeff Parren expressed concern to Silcott about the quality of the meters they purchased in 2004 under Silcott’s guidance compared to the meters they could purchase in the future.
“It’s a little disconcerting you said Census is the top-of-the-line brand and they last for 20 years and ours lasted for 13 years on average,” Parren said.
Silcott talked about what kinds of technology the village could implement, such as being able to read meters from a tablet device without having to physically read the meter.
He said the meters would cost from $100 to $125 on the low end, and up to $250 each on the high end.
He said the price altogether is determined by how the meter is going to be installed. He said this could cost nearly up to $400 for each meter and its installation.
Silcott said the village could have ways to pay for replacing its meters, which totals to about 360, that include pursuing grants and loans. He said the village could apply for funds in July and have them available by next year.
In the November meeting, Chris Kise, former chairperson of the water, utilities and sewer branch of the village, reported the village’s meters were outdated and giving inaccurate readings. At that meeting, Kise said the village should be replacing its current meters, and fixing them can’t be done.
Village administrator James House said the defunct meters now make him manually check meters, as opposed to them automatically giving readings before. He said he spends from two to six hours reading meters in a day.
“The biggest thing is, if we are capable of getting meters again, it’d be nice to pick up a leak quicker,” House said.
Also at the meeting, the council switched around its roles for its members.
“I just wanted to change things up,” said Mayor Virgil Reisinger. “It’s my prerogative to assign committee chairs and I thought it was time to make a switch.”
This decision didn’t resonate well with councilmembers Don Jones and Terri Kean.
Jones asked why Parren had replaced him as the chairperson for the planning, ordinances, codes, annexation and zoning branch.
Reisinger said the past chairpeople for roles within the village should be working with the new chairpeople to catch them up to speed on the responsibilities. However, Kean expressed concern about personnel not being able to meet up with her to work on this, however.
“So you’re going to take the work all of these people have been doing this past year and it all just goes away and we’re all starting at square one?” Kean said. “You always change whenever you’re making progress.”
Other matters at the meeting included the interest in finding a new village administrator. The council expressed interest in having someone hired by March 1.
Also reported at the meeting was a water leak that was found Saturday on Mill and State streets. The leak went on from 12:20 p.m. to 6 p.m. House said 75 percent of the water lost in the village over the last 10 years has been from this location.
Finally, the council voted to continue hosting its village meetings on the second Monday of each month.
The village council will meet again Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m., at 12 Railroad St.