A vote on a non-wireless smart meter option for Naperville residents drew almost 20 to speak in opposition Tuesday, with the disruption of the crowd causing a halt to the meeting, a call for police backup and the removal of some vocal opponents.
The public forum on the topic started off tense. Councilman Steve Chirico, who was serving as acting mayor in the absence of George Pradel, twice admonished the crowd to withhold applause and outbursts after the first two speakers. Chirico called a break to the forum for the crowd to “cool off” at that time, and said those who continue to disrupt the meeting would be removed.
During the break, Police Commander John Gustin called for police backup and warned the speakers and members of the Naperville Smart Meter Awareness Group that removal from council chambers and arrests were possible if the disruptions continued.
After the meeting continued, the crowd remained relatively quiet, though two were removed after interjecting during council discussion.
At issue was a council selection of a non-wireless smart meter option that residents opposed to the default wireless-meters — about 57,000 of which will be installed beginning later this year. Several residents have expressed health concerns from radio-frequency emissions, as well as security and privacy issues they say could arise from the wireless meters.
Under the proposal, residents who request the non-wireless meters would have to pay a $68 one-time fee for the meter, as well as a monthly surcharge to have the meter read manually.
“You are giving us no choice,” said Naperville resident Amanda Rykor, who added that the World Health Organization has classified radio-frequency emissions as a carcinogen.
Rykor also said that while she may choose to have a non-wireless meter installed on her town home, others who share her building may not, which she said could still expose her to the emissions. Chirico did not deny that this was the case.
Naperville resident Kim Bendis said radio-frequency emissions may seem harmless, but so did lead, trans-fats and asbestos in the past. Bendis was later escorted out of the meeting for challenging a statement made by one of the council members.
But council members approved the option 7-1 — with Councilman Doug Krause as the lone opposing vote.
“Am I 100-percent sure smart grid is going to be a huge success, no,” said councilman Joe McElroy. “But do I feel that I, in good conscious, (should) do anything at this point to stifle this project? No I don’t feel that way either.”
Councilwoman Judy Brodhead said residents shouldn’t be concerned about health risks, and that the radio-frequency emissions will be negligible.
“It is tiny, there is lots of evidence it is very tiny, we have measured it,” she said.
Krause said he had too many unanswered questions about the meters to vote in favor of the option for residents, and also questioned paying separate technicians to manually read the meters when there are already staff that read water meters in the city.
“We’re penalizing those who want to opt out,” he said.
The city — which owns its electrical utility — said its smart grid initiative will allow it to remotely collect residents energy use data, as well as lower rates for customers. The $22 million project is funded partially by a federal grant that requires the city to have the grid in place by the end of 2012.
