Meter Reader I

City of Farmington • Farmington, NM

21h • Onsite

About The Position

The City of Farmington is seeking a Meter Reader I for its Electric Utility department. This is a regular, full-time position that requires the employee to work alone and independently for approximately seven hours of each eight-hour workday. The Meter Reader works under the direction of the Metering Supervisor, with daily supervision by review of hand-held computer entries. The role involves promoting and following safe practices, demonstrating honesty, integrity, and dependability, and performing duties to reflect credit on the Utility. The primary responsibility is to accurately read electric and water meters in various locations, record usage, check for tampering, and note any unusual changes or malfunctions. The position also requires interacting with customers, handling animals, and using various tools to locate and access meters. Attendance at work is an essential function, and the position participates in the City's Environmental, Health, and Safety program.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Ability to learn county/city roads to locate meter addresses throughout the City, San Juan County, parts of Rio Arriba County, and parts of southern Colorado.
• Must have valid New Mexico Driver's License.
• Ability to drive a 4 wheel drive motor vehicle in all types of weather and terrain and get in and out of the vehicle all day.
• Basic mathematical skills required to compute reads which DataCap will not accept.
• Ability to learn to perform minor vehicle repairs such as changing a tire.
• A calm temperament is required to enable courteous interaction with customers and dogs.
• Ability to learn to read electrical meters (KVAR, demand, cyclometer, pointer, remote, time of use) and water meters (includes touch read remotes).
• Ability to communicate with two-way radio.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally to ensure proper communication within the City and with customers.
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing to ensure reports are thorough and interpretable.
• Ability to establish and maintain successful, professional working relationships with all co-workers, supervisors, other City departments and the public.
• Ability to learn to operate all functions of the hand held computer.
• Basic knowledge of meter tampering as defined by the City Code.
• Basic knowledge of unsafe service so that it can be reported to supervisor.
• Ability to learn billing procedures as established and enforced by Customer Service Division in order to answer customer questions.

Nice To Haves

• Ability to work with angry or difficult customers in an efficient manner
• Ability to handle and work around dogs and other animals
• Ability to learn to perform minor vehicle repairs such as changing a tire

Responsibilities

• Promotes and follows safe practices, procedures, and safety rules and participates in scheduled Safety Meetings.
• Demonstrates honesty, integrity, confidentiality, dependability, and flexibility along with initiative and motivation to organize and complete tasks and meet deadlines.
• Performs duties and assignments and conducts self in such a manner as to reflect credit on the Utility.
• With 99% accuracy (two errors per 1,000 reads), reads electric and water meters in rural and urban areas.
• Reads electrical meters (KVAR, demand, cyclometer, pointer, remote and time of use) and water meters (includes touch read remotes).
• Using a hand-held computer, locates addresses throughout San Juan County, New Mexico and parts of southern Colorado in order to read meters.
• Records water and electricity usage.
• Visually reads meters and enters information into hand-held computer for customer billing.
• Checks meters for tampering.
• Notes or contacts office of any unusual changes in consumption, location or malfunctions such as leaks or damaged meters.
• Ability to work with angry or difficult customers in an efficient manner.
• Ability to handle and work around dogs and other animals.
• Opens and closes gates when entering customers' property, being careful to leave gates and livestock as found.
• Uses metal detector to locate buried meters; uses shovel, ice pick or bailing can, as necessary, to locate or uncover meters.
• Occasionally uses binoculars to read distant, inaccessible meters.
• Occasional contact with customers.
• Responds courteously to customers' inquiries and reports problems or discrepancies to supervisor.
• Walks several miles in each work day in all types of weather.
• Operates motor vehicle in all types of weather and on all types of roads; drives and gets in and out of vehicle repeatedly throughout the day.
• Communicates frequently with two-way radio.
• Maintains any assigned tools and equipment and ensure they are in good working order.
• Attendance at work is an essential function of this position.
• This position has the responsibility to participate in the City's Environmental, Health, and Safety program.
• Assists others in division by hanging warning tags, completing re-reads, rechecks for delinquent customers that have been disconnected for non-payment, and performs occupant change readings.
• In case of no access prepares necessary paperwork.
• Using department procedures, trains new readers as assigned.
• In case of meter tampering, testifies in Court as to condition of meter.
• Must perform minor vehicle maintenance when necessary such as changing of tires.
• Using maintenance schedule, schedules routine vehicle maintenance at Municipal Vehicle Maintenance.

Benefits

• The job description does not explicitly list benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED