Council adopts hydrant-meter policy, raises deposits to cover replacement costs

City staff presented a formal hydrant-meter policy to create consistent procedures, raise deposits to cover replacement and damage costs, and restrict which hydrants may be used by contractors. Staff said the price of meters has increased significantly and the city was not previously collecting enough to replace lost or damaged units. "We found that we were not charging enough for our deposits, which would cover damage or loss on those meters," staff said, explaining the fee adjustments and the requirement that Public Works approve meter locations.

Council adopted the policy by unanimous roll call. The policy standardizes who may obtain a hydrant meter, establishes deposit and fee amounts (as listed in the adopted policy), and requires Public Works review before installation to protect system integrity.