Published: October 22, 2009 11:13 pm         

Enid commission approves new system for metering city’s water

Enid city commissioners Thursday night approved a new water metering system that will mean replacing an estimated 20,000 meters.

The bid from National Metering Systems was $6,813,000, more than $2 million lower than the next lowest bid. One bidder has complained because city staff members visited the manufacturing facility, and he believes the visit was improper.

Oklahoma Water Resources Board earlier this year announced Enid would receive up to $8,345,000 in loan and grant money for the system. The project will be funded by the city’s Water Cap-ital Improvement Fund and reimbursed with the OWRB/Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality money. Up to $2 million of the OWRB funds will be in the form of federal stimulus money.

Ward 2 Commissioner Don Rose, a civil engineer, said the stimulus funds made the project attractive.

The new meters will contain radio-controlled meter reading systems. According to city officials, the system will provide improved accuracy of water use and allow for direct reading of meters by a radio system to the customer service department. The new system eventually will eliminate manual meter reading.

City Manager Eric Benson said the city will realize an increase in revenue based on more accurate reading of meters. Residential water bills probably will increase as a result of the more accurate metering.

In other business, commissioners:

• Approved creating a no-leash dog park at Crosslin Park. The dog park will include fencing, dog shade structures, water and bathing areas and sitting areas for owners. Cost is estimated at $32,000.

• Named Bert Mackie the living recipient of a brick on the Enid Walk of Fame. Each year a living and deceased person are named to the Walk of Fame, which recognizes people who have made significant contributions to Enid.

Mackie is vice chairman of Security National Bank, where he has served since 1962 in all facets of commercial banking. He also is asset manager of Hamm Financial Group. Mackie serves as an officer or director on many educational and business organizations.

He has served as past president of the board of trustees of Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a regent for Ok-lahoma Banking Association Intermediate School of Bank-ing and also on the board of governors of St. Mary’s Re-gional Medical Cen-ter. He is past chairman of Garfield County Joint Indus-trial Foundation and treasurer of Enid Economic Coalition. He also serves on the Northwestern Oklahoma State University/ Northern Oklahoma College Community Advisory Board and their respective foundations.

During Thursday’s study session Mike Vandenburg, Okmulgee city attorney, discussed the Oklahoma Open Records Act and competitive bidding act with commissioners.

Stan Hicks also was honored by Brent Kisling for his work putting together a kite flying event in Enid Sept. 10. The city was trying to break the world record for kites in the air simultaneously. Enid fell short of the world record, but ended up setting the North American record with 2,698 kites in the air.

Kisling, executive director of Enid Economic Devel-opment Association, said the event allowed him to bring in a number of wind energy executives for a discussion on wind energy projects in Enid.