The DeSoto City Council approved a water meter contract of up to $1.8 million Oct. 20 following questions about replacement costs and how the work would proceed while residents continued to report billing problems.
The council voted 5-1 to authorize the interim city manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Aqua-Metric Sales Company for Sensus meters, radios and annual software subscriptions.
Council member Crystal Chism made the motion. Ken Waters, the deputy mayor pro tem, seconded it.
The planned purchase includes approximately 4,000 meters and 4,000 radios, according to the agenda packet.
Funding is already budgeted in the city’s meter and equipment replacement funds.
Before the vote, former DeSoto City Council member Nicole Raphiel questioned whether staff could ensure replacement meters would be linked to the correct customer accounts while billing problems remained unresolved.
“Many of us still can’t tell what we owe,” Raphiel said, citing mailed bills that she said did not match residents’ online balances.
She asked why the city should proceed before billing stabilized and questioned differences between the requested spending ceiling and the vendor’s quote.
She also sought clarification about listed unit prices, installation quantities and whether previously invoiced software charges had already been paid.
Raphiel asked how many existing meters had failed accuracy testing and what replacing the remaining meters would cost.
“I’m not asking you to say no to meters forever,” she said. “I’m asking you to protect taxpayers by getting the order right.”
Brandon Lacy, the city’s public utilities director, said meters installed when DeSoto began its automated metering program in 2011 are approaching their expected 15-year service life.
He said the purchase would support both scheduled replacements and routine inventory needs, including meters for new development and replacements for failed equipment.
Council member Pierette Parker requested a comprehensive inventory showing which meters have been replaced and how many replacements are needed.
She questioned proceeding with additional spending while billing concerns remained unresolved.
“I would hope that we would stave off and stop, get the problem resolved and then move forward,” Parker said.
Chism asked how replacements would affect residents and said delaying maintenance could create additional problems.
“I wouldn’t want anybody to experience additional issues with their meter, considering all the issues we’ve already experienced,” Chism said.
Lacy said replacement inventory is also necessary for customers requesting independent meter tests. Testing requires removing a customer’s meter and installing another while the original is evaluated.
“We just can’t come to a screeching halt,” Lacy said.
He explained that the metering software collects consumption information and sends it to the separate Tyler Technologies billing system.
Lacy said large-scale replacements were planned for 2027, after equipment delivery and planning. Staff would also wait for billing conditions to begin stabilizing before starting that work, he said.
The council also adopted a Streambank Erosion Mitigation Program through its consent agenda, creating a framework to help protect qualifying residential properties from creek erosion.
The program is supported by an annual $500,000 allocation from the Drainage Utility Fund.
Staff outlined a $10,000 contribution from each participating homeowner, with a separate fee-schedule amendment planned to establish that payment requirement.
The city would oversee application review, engineering, bidding, construction administration and inspections.
Participating homeowners would provide necessary easements and remain responsible for routine maintenance after construction.
Projects would be ranked and selected based on eligibility, costs and available funding. Submitting an application would not guarantee assistance.
Staff outlined an application period of Nov. 1 through Jan. 15, 2027.
For road safety, the council authorized a $129,622 agreement with Dunaway Associates for engineering and related services at Belt Line and Cockrell Hill roads.
The staff report identified it as the top-ranked high-crash intersection in the city’s comprehensive safety action plan.
Planned improvements include replacing traffic signals, modifying medians, upgrading lighting and adding accessible pedestrian features.
According to the staff report, approximately $1.25 million in construction funding was awarded through the Texas Department of Transportation.
Federal funding would cover 90% of construction costs, with state funding covering the remaining 10%. DeSoto remains responsible for design expenses.
The council also accepted a $262,150 city contribution toward STAR Transit services for fiscal 2027, an increase of $27,281 over the previous year.
The funding supports demand-response transportation and STARNow same-day service.
In a separate 5-1 vote, the council approved an ordinance setting the filing fee for mayoral and council candidates at $110, up from $100. Candidates may instead submit a petition signed by at least 25 registered DeSoto voters.
A motion to retain the $100 fee failed for lack of a second.
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