The Collierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Jan. 13 approved a contract award to Tower Systems Incorporated for an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) towers and network equipment installation project.

John Fox, public utilities director, told the board the contract is for a propagation study and construction work to improve AMI network coverage. Fox said sites were prioritized where radio antenna structures already exist, and two new aluminum towers were proposed at the Northwest wastewater treatment plant and a pump station. “The apparent low bidder was Tower Systems Incorporated with a bid price of a $189,202.48,” Fox said.

Fox said the town budgeted $8 million for the AMI conversion project in FY2024; if the contract is approved, staff estimated approximately $498,000 would remain in the total project budget after accounting for expected expenditures on meter installation, material purchases and miscellaneous fees.

Board members briefly questioned the disparity between the low bid and a much higher out‑of‑state bid; Fox said differences appeared largely driven by mobilization costs and that the low local bidders had more competitive pricing. The motion to award the contract carried on a unanimous roll call: Alderman Marshall, Alderman Stamps, Alderman Robbins and Mayor Maureen Frazier voted yes.

Staff presented a sample motion on screen and said they would be available for additional questions; no public comment was recorded on this item.