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Home My WebLink About5G - Lift Station Monitoring Equipment Purchase REP Phone 952.447.9800 / Fax 952.447.4245 / www.cityofpriorlake.com 4646 Dakota Street SE Prior Lake, MN 55372 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT MEETING DATE: APRIL 15, 2019 AGENDA #: 5G PREPARED BY: JASON WEDEL, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR/CITY ENGINEER PRESENTED BY: NICK MONSERUD AGENDA ITEM: CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE OF LIFT STATION MONITORING EQUIPMENT GOAL AREA AND OBJECTIVE: DISCUSSION: Environmental Stewardship & Recreation 5. Employ emerging technologies to preserve and protect our natural resources. Introduction The purpose of this agenda item is to seek City Council approval of the purchase of new lift station monitoring equipment. History The City currently operates 41 lift stations as part of the City’s sanitary sewer system. This is a significant number of lift stations and is reflective of the City’s topography around the lakes and the need to pump sewage up and away from the lakes to connect into the Met Council trunk sanitary sewer system. The operation of these lift stations is critical to ensure the health and safety of our residents. Each lift station is equipped with monitoring equipment. The monitoring equipment evaluates such things as the sewage levels within the lift station, if there are issues with either of the pumps, or if the temperature falls below freezing in the control cabinet. If any of these types of issues are detected, a notification is sent to the cell phone of the staff person at public works that is on call at the time. The issue with the existing monitoring equipment is that it is approaching the end of its useful life. The cell phone technology used by the equipment is 3G. The cell phone companies are ending their support of 3G, so upgrading the equipment is necessary. Current Circumstances City staff obtained quotes from two different providers of lift station monitoring equipment. The first quote was from Omni Site, which is the City’s current provider. The second quote was from Fleetzoom. There are several differences between the two providers. The Omni Site system alerts the on call staff person if one of the alarms is triggered as 2 mentioned above. It does not provide any data as part of that notice. The on call person must physically go to the lift station in question and determine the severity of the situation. The Fleetzoom system is more robust. It notifies the on call staff person if an alarm has been triggered, similar to Omni Site. However, it can also be monitored remotely. This allows City staff to review the situation and the data from a computer or tablet and determine if it is necessary to make a trip out to the lift station. This is particulary useful during the evenings or weekends. By eliminating the need for staff to drive in and investigate lift station alarms during evenings and weekends when they are on call it will help reduce overtime costs as well as allow staff to be more efficient with their time. The other benefit of the Fleetzoom system is the data collection and reporting that is provided. One example is that staff can review the amount of time the pumps are running in the lift station. This can then be correlated to rain fall events during the same time period to determine if the lift station is experiencing any issues with Inflow and Infiltration (I & I). Identifying and correcting I & I issues can save the City significant charges from the Met Council by eliminating rain water from entering the sanitary sewer system and being treated at the waste water treatment plant. There are two different costs to consider when evaluating the lift station monitoring equipment. The first cost is the upfront purchase of the equipment and the installation. The second cost is the ongoing annual service cost. Up Front Cost Annual Maintenance Omni Site $32,979.00 $20,286.00 Fleetzoom $106,984.00 $15,480.00 The Fleetzoom up front cost is substantially higher than Omni Site; however, the annual maintenance cost is less. It is also estimated that the ability to monitor and turn off the lift stations alarms remotely will save the City approximately $10,000 in staff overtime by not having to travel to each lift station when notified of an alarm. The up front cost difference for Fleetzoom is $106,984 - $32,979 = $74,005 The annual maintenance cost savings is $20,286 - $15,480 = $ 4,806 The annual staff overtime cost savings is $10,000 Total annual savings $14,806 If you divide the up front cost difference by the projected savings, the pay back period is 5 years ($74,005 / $14,806 = 5 years) for the Fleetzoom equipment. The life expectancy for the monitoring equipment is 15 years. Conclusion Staff is recommending the purchase of the Fleetzoom equipment. The initial cost is higher but the financial pay back is 5 years. In addition, by utilizing the Fleetzoom equipment the City will have more tools to help identify I & I issues and get them corrected which will save the City money in treatment costs from 3 the Met Council. Finally, the ability to monitor the lift stations remotely makes the existing City staff more efficient and reduces their overtime burden. ISSUES: There are no issues anticpated with this purchase. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The Council approved the 2019 budgets and tax levy as part of the December 3rd, 2018 City Council agenda. The authorization for the purchase of this equipment was included in the sanitary sewer enterprise fund (Fund 604) portion of the budget. The amount of funds identified in the 2019 budget for this equipment is $64,279. The up front cost for the Fleetzoom product is $106,984 so the budget shortfall is ($106,984 - $64,279 = $42,705). To make up the short fall, staff is proposing to utilize additional funds identified in the 2019 sanitary sewer enterprise fund as follows: • There is $20,000 in the 2019 budget for some sanitary sewer lift station control replacement and inspection that will actually get covered by the proposed complete replacement of the monitoring equipment so those funds are available. • There is $20,000 in the 2019 budget for I & I repairs and sewer backups and since this new equipment will be used to identify these types of issues the use of these funds is appropriate. • There remaining $2,705 short fall can be taken from the 2019 budget that was going to be used for renting a back hoe to make sewer repairs if necessary. Utilizing these funds will allow the City to purchase the Fleetzoom equipment without negatively impacting the sanitary sewer fund (Fund 604) for 2019 and stay within the existing utility rates. ALTERNATIVES: 1. Motion and second to approve a resolution as part of the consent agenda authorizing the purchase of the Fleetzoom lift station monitoring equipment as detailed in this report. 2. Motion and second to remove this item from the consent agenda for additional discussion. RECOMMENDED MOTION: Alternative #1. 4646 Dakota Street SE Prior Lake, MN 55372 RESOLUTION 19-___ A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE OF LIFT STATION MONITORING EQUIPMENT Motion By: Second By: WHEREAS, Each year the City Council adopts a Sanitary Sewer Fund (Fund 604) budget as part of the annual budget and utility rates; and WHEREAS, The 2019 Fund 604 budget contemplates the replacement of the City’s lift station monitoring equipement; and WHEREAS, WHEREAS, The 2019 Fund 604 budget programmed $64,279 for the replacement of this equipment; and The remaining funds necessary to purchase the recommended monitoring equipment are available within the 2019 budget; and WHEREAS, Quotes were received and are incorporated in the agenda report. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PRIOR LAKE, MINNESOTA as follows: 1. The recitals set forth above are incorporated herein. 2. Staff is authorized to dispose of the existing brine production equipment. 3. Staff is authorized to purchase new lift station monitoring equipment from Fleetzoom. 4. Funds will be drawn from the Sanitary Sewer Fund (604-49450.00-55570.00) - $64,279 Funds will be drawn from the Sanitary Sewer Fund (604-49450.00-54010.81) - $20,000 Funds will be drawn from the Sanitary Sewer Fund (604-49450.00-54010.82) - $20,000 Funds will be drawn from the Sanitary Sewer Fund (604-49450.00-54070.00) - $2,705 Passed and adopted by the Prior Lake City Council this 15 day of April, 2019 VOTE Briggs Thompson Burkart Braid Erickson Aye ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Nay ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Abstain ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Absent ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ______________________________ Michael Plante, City Manager