ST. MARTINVILLE — Mayor Jason Willis lauds a significant development as the St. Martinville City Council approves the acquisition of electric meters to be installed in residential houses, marking a groundbreaking agenda item. The council's decision, made during Monday's meeting, follows months of research and is expected to revolutionize the efficiency of the city's utility department.
In a departure from the current practice of regularly inspecting electrical meters by city employees, the approved purchase involves modern, digitized meters. Willis expressed confidence in the transformative impact of the new meters, emphasizing their benefits for the business department, council members, and the entire community.
The existing meter system, susceptible to routine inspections and occasional human errors, has led to a lack of trust over the years. The introduction of advanced meters aims to address these concerns by digitizing the process, enabling city employees to access data remotely without manual visits to homes.
The technology also facilitates digital disconnection in case of unpaid bills, allowing residents to promptly restore their power after settling dues through a designated telephone number. Calder "Pop" Hebert reported successful testing over nine months, with minimal issues identified. The city plans to purchase and install approximately 2,300 advanced metering infrastructure units in the coming phases.
While the physical replacement of meters is anticipated to be straightforward, city employees will undergo training for the software side of the technology, a process expected to take some time. Hebert assured that the transition process, while not immediate, would not be prolonged, emphasizing that in-house installation is a cost-effective alternative to contracting external companies, even if overtime payments to employees are necessary.
