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Billie Watts reads one of 6,000 meters he checks each month. Photo by Marcy Shonk
Casey meter reader retires after 40 years of city service  Share
Dilligent. Deliberate. Dependable. Dutiful. That describes the guy who has read utility meters for the City of Casey since he was a senior in high school. He's the guy who's served 21 years in the Guard. He's the guy who's been married 36 years to the former Marlene Briggs. And, he's the guy who doesn't take commitments lightly. ''When I get into something, I like to stick with it,'' he comments in his unassuming, easy-going manner. He's Casey native Billie Watts, who has chosen to begin his retirement on his wedding anniversary, although his 40 years as a city employee will be completed two days prior, on Nov. 8. With credit for his service to his country and accumulated sick leave, Billie is quick to point out that ''only'' 38 of those years is actual ''city time.'' According to Utilities Superintendent Shelby Biggs, each month Billie reads 6,000 meters in 21 days, from here to Clark Center, where the city extends their natural gas service. Biggs considers Billie a great friend. He says the entire city crew has become friends and family. Billie agrees, ''You couldn't have a better bunch of guys to work with.'' Biggs says Billie is very important to the city, which owns its own utility services, including natural gas, electric, water, sewer and contracted refuse and recycling.
''And he's always dependable, like the postman. Whether it's 95 degrees or 20 degrees below zero, he never complains,'' he said. ''Billie is a great worker. There's nothing easy about the meter reader's position,'' Biggs continues. Aside from fighting the elements and the occasional encounter with a socially challenged dog, the job is difficult because of unpredictable and random placement of 1700 water meters, often completely hidden from view. Residential and commercial electric, gas and water meters are located in a plethora of places. At one time, some even required entering a basement to record the information. Still, Billie reads meters located in front yards, side yards, back yards, behind fences and on porches. ''Eventually, I wind up in about everyone's backyards,'' he said. His introduction to the city payroll started with the high school's interrelated program, when he worked three hours each afternoon with either the street department or Clem Cox and Gene Denney, who taught him his trade. Bob Claypool was foreman. But his career started even earlier when he, as a 15- and 16-year-old, worked summers for the city's street department. ''Max Freeman got me on,'' he said. The summer between his junior and senior year, Billie mowed and painted at the Casey Country Club. On April 3, 1971, he joined the Army National Guard. Upon graduating with the Casey High School Class of '71, Billie resumed his meter reading responsibilities, disrupted only by Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training that summer and regular guard duty for the following 21 years. He served in the guard's transportation unit, where he learned to drive a truck. He was transferred to maintenance, delivering parts and tools to mechanics. ''I had my own truck,'' Billie bemused. ''Had 'er made there like I do here.'' He eventually retired as a Sergeant E-5. Guard training complete, he became a full-time employee of the street department. The city's meter readings are recorded in 14 books, organized in sequential order. Billie was eventually added to the roster of meter readers, taking four books. Cox and Denney read two each and some of the electric department staff members read some as well. At the time, small three-ring binders were used and readings were penciled into record. Now, technology has evolved and Billie uses a handheld computer, something that comes in handy during a Midwest downpour. Data is downloaded for billing into a computer in the collector's office. A polar meter scope has simplified reading of water meters, often underwater. The scope has lcd lights and a magnifying glass. ''The computers are the biggest change that's been made,'' Billie said. ''I thought that they were going to send me down the road. Me and my wife never really got into computers. We dropped our dial-up internet, but I still have a computer for the games I like,'' he said. But, he's now sold on the handheld device. Billie starts reading the last week of each month to complete the cycle for the billing, nearly two months out. As an example, he will start reading on or near Oct. 28 to ideally finish by Nov. 22 or 23 for the Dec. 1 billing. Billie has never measured the miles of territory he covers each month, more concerned with getting the meters read in a timely fashion. And, although mild-mannered, one thing gets ''my dander up,'' he said. When complaints are made charging him with neglecting to read meters, he takes that criticism to heart. Billie says the only time he doesn't read a meter is when a water meter is frozen shut. During those spans of frigid weather, the collector has to estimate water usage, amounts adjusted when thawing occurs. The one function of his job that he could do without is discontinuing customers' service when they fail to pay. ''That's what I hate the worst,'' Billie said. ''I hate shut-offs with a passion. If I could get rid of that, I would.'' Utility bills are mailed at the beginning of each month, payment due on the 15th. Shut-off day is the 20th. ''For the most part, the girls in the collector's office get the brunt of it,'' Billie says of unhappy disconnects. ''I used to go to the door and notify the customer, but Randi (Collector Parr), doesn't want me to do that.'' He said the record number of shut-offs recently occurred in August of this year when he had orders to discontinue electric service to 29 customers. ''Most of the time it's the same people,'' Billie said. ''They play it until the end. When it comes time for shut-off they normally pay the bill.'' Electric service is the first to go, and if there is no attempt to pay within a few days, water and gas are also disconnected. Another pet peeve and unavoidable peril of the job is dealing with dogs. ''You never know when you're going to run into a dog,'' Billie said. And, even though he's only been bitten once, it was at best, an unpleasant experience. Early in his career, in the 70's, Billie was reading on the east end of Main Street. As he approached the Morris residence on East Main, a penned but always vocal, large dog escaped during feeding time. ''He came up to me with his tail wagging and I reached to pet his head when he clamped down on my arm. The kid was there and jumped on the dog's back to stop him and sent me to the porch, but not before I had been bitten four times, in the arm, stomach and knee,'' Billie said, ''He had to call his dad to get the dog.'' Billie got a tetanus shot and became increasingly aware of loose dogs. ''Since then, I don't take chances with dogs,'' he said. ''Lots of people have dogs in their backyards. You never know. My only defense is the polar meter scope. I could probably carry dog mace and I've tried that before, but if the wind is right, I could get it in my face.'' The meter reader also serves as a troubleshooter, able to report when a meter is out of service, or a water leak is suspected. ''If a customer's usage is off, I try to catch the customer at home to alert them. If not, I tell Randi and she or Debbie Hutton, assistant collector, notify the customer.'' He's worked for six superintendents, including Gene Whitton, Kelly Emrich, Fred Hagood, Ray Mitchell, John Bell, and current Superintendent Biggs, who has worked with Billie the longest, at 15 years. It was Mitchell in the 1970s who made the call to designate only one meter reader and that was Billie. Marion Goble performed the work orders and helped read meters in his spare time. When Goble retired for health reasons, Billie inherited both duties. When Bell entered the picture, he assigned Steve Cannon to help read. Biggs later transferred Cannon to operate the water plant and Billie resumed working solo. ''If I got really behind because of bad weather, someone would chip in and help,'' he explained. ''And when I went for annual two weeks' Guard training, anyone who could read the meters would.'' Billie's also worked with five mayors -- Clarence Crouch, Bill Savage, Dana Duvall, Ed Bolin, and now, Scott Elkins. He starts each workday morning, rising at 6 a.m. and reporting to work at 7 a.m. and then to city hall where he checks work orders. Sometimes those orders need immediate attention, noted by Parr. He spends the morning reading meters and checks with the collector's office just after lunch for additional work orders. He's spent the past few weeks training his replacement, Brent Shull, also a Casey native and Class of '71 alum. Billie says Brent's catching on quick, and flashes a wide grin each time he is reminded his days with the city are numbered. ''It's been a great experience,'' Billie said. ''I've just gotten to the point where I'm old enough and have enough years in that I can retire. I appreciate the people who have thanked me for my service.'' Billie says he has no hobbies, but admits to being a NASCAR fan at one time. ''I was a Jeff Gordon fan,'' Billie said. ''I watched five races in a row at Charlotte, N.C. It was awesome.'' He says his wife, who has worked at Heartland Manor for 35 years plans to retire someday as well. In the meantime, he says he'll keep plenty busy with ''honey do'' jobs. ''And I plan to stop by the utility building once in awhile and visit City Hall when I pay my bill each month.'' Marcy Shonk is a staff reporter for the Casey Reporter.
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