Special to Iredell Free News
The City of Statesville has received the “Advancing Technology Award” from the North Carolina League of Municipalities Local Leadership Foundation in recognition of Statesville’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) initiative.
Council members Fred Foster, Amy Lawton and Mayor Pro Tem William Morgan were presented the award at the NCLM’s annual conference this week in Wilmington.
This award category honors the municipality that has utilized modern technology to improve their delivery of services, citizen engagement and economic investments.
Statesville’s AMI project has involved upgrading all City water and electric meters, replacing the old meters with highly accurate, secure, state-of-the art metering technology also called “smart meters”. Statesville has been preparing for the program for more than 10 years and began the installation of nearly 12,000 AMI electric meters and 9,000 AMI water meters about two years ago.
The AMI system allows the meters to be read remotely, providing information to the City automatically on a daily basis. In addition to reading usage information, the meters can alert the City and customers when there is a power outage and detect water leaks. Through the Customer Portal, customers have access to real time information about their electric and water usage and the ability to compare their usage to weather data.
“The projects and successes happening throughout our state reveal the true impact of local leaders and our communities. It is an honor to recognize these award winners, who contribute so much to the state of North Carolina,” said NCLM Local Leadership Foundation President and Town of Duck Mayor Don Kingston.
The NCLM Local Leadership Foundation is dedicated to the training and education of North Carolina municipal elected leaders and appointed officials. Through its efforts, leaders who participate in the Foundation’s programs will have enhanced leadership skills that will further advance cities and towns across the state.
NCLM’s annual conference CityVision began April 26 and will conclude April 28, and includes in-depth sessions presentations and discussions of community development, economic development, the federal American Rescue Plan, leadership, climate resilience and other key issues facing municipalities.
About the N.C. League of Municipalities
The North Carolina League of Municipalities is a member-driven organization representing the interests of cities and towns in the state. Through their collective efforts, League member cities and towns better serve their residents and improve quality of life. For more than 100 years, the League has been one voice for cities and towns working for a better North Carolina.