City Council Meeting Dominated By SmartMeters

The Capitola City Council meeting Thursday was dominated by opponents of PG&E's controversial plan to resume installing wireless SmartMeters in Santa Cruz County this summer. More than a dozen opponenets, mostly from the group Stop Smart Meters!, spoke out against the rollout, citing reasons ranging from health risks caused by the wireless transmissions, to shadow government intrusion into private citizens' lives.

Senior Director of the Smart Meter Program Cliff Gleicher said PG&E is looking into several measures to ease people's fears, including a delay list which would stall the installation of a smart meter, but Gleicher didn't have many details, and the idea is still under review by the California Public Utilities Commission. If the CPUC approves the plan, individual customers will be able to at least stall installation of a Smart Meter on their homes by calling a hotline. 

Here are the five most important developments from Thursday's meeting:

-The council passed a symbolic proposal in defiance of PG&E's plan to charge additional fees to customers who choose “radio off” meters, which would be the same as a SmartMeter, but would still require a PG&E meter reader to visit their home to record usage. Councilmember Sam Storey voiced opposition to the plan to charge extra fees to customers who choose this option.

-Some opponents argued against the smart meters on the basis that they are part of a plan between groups like the Bilderberg Society and the Bill Gates foundation to control our lives and take away our right to privacy.

-The Police Department announced recent promotions and new hirings, and after the meeting Thursday, the officers on this list were made well aware that they will be keeping the peace on this issue throughout the summer with more protests surrounding PG&E SmartMeters sure to continue.

• Andy Dally was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, with Kraig Evans and Daniel Weagle recently appointed as new officers.

-The council approved $15,000 for fiscal year 2011-12 to continue a program by the Coastal Watershed Council that educates about 250 students at each year on how they can help keep local water supplies clean.

-A resident of the Surf & Sand Mobile Home Park spoke during the normal public comment time to remind the council that abuse of rent control exemptions at the park are continuing and time is running out before tenants must renew their leases, which she said are unfair with contradictory provision.

-Quote of the Night, Cliff Gleicher, PG&E: "We're not looking at health effects at least in this first phase of this proceeding. We're looking at whether a radio off proposal makes sense. We're looking at costs, and whether the way in which PG&E recovers those costs from customers makes sense."