Ballot battle

LIHUE — The plan was to limit testimony to the proposed ballot language for Kauai Island Utility Cooperative’s upcoming special election related to smart meters.

In other words, Monday’s public meeting — which packed KIUC’s board room — was not about discussing whether smart meters are good or bad, safe or dangerous.

However, the KIUC Board of Directors struggled to keep the focus, with Board Vice Chair Jan TenBruggencate, who ran the meeting in place of Chair Allan Smith, having to constantly remind an estimated 30 people to address the agenda item.

“We’re here specifically to take comments on the ballot language that was agreed to earlier,” he said.

Similar to the last several, Monday’s meeting quickly drifted toward health and privacy concerns, increased costs to the co-op and its membership, and a lack of transparency on the part of KIUC surrounding the smart meters technology.

Monday offered the first of two opportunities for the public to weigh-in on the upcoming election. The yes-or-no vote is about whether the extra costs of reading and servicing old electric meters should be shared by the entire co-op, or remain with just those who opt not to use the new technology.

The major complaint regarding the ballot language Monday was that it does not include details about the specific fees members will be voting on.

“I don’t particularly like the language because it’s so open-ended,” Hanapepe resident David Leopold said. “There’s no information that explains what you’re voting for, or not. There’s no substance to it.”

“This ballot allows members of Kauai Island Utility Cooperative to approve or reject an action by KIUC Board of Directors,” reads the draft version, agreed upon last month by both KIUC and anti-fee petitioners. “On Oct. 1, the board of directors voted to charge service fees to those customers who chose not to use KIUC’s ‘smart meters.’ As a member of KIUC, do you approve of the board action described above? Yes (or) no.”

TenBruggencate said one of the reasons the language does not include the fees was in an effort to keep it “simple,” so that people don’t get confused and throw it away.

Not everyone Monday was against the increased tariffs, which were approved by the Public Utilities Commission in October.

John Zwiebel said he doesn’t feel it’s the responsibility of the entire membership to pay for what he views as a “totally wackadoodle position concerning the privacy issues and the effects of the (radio frequency) energy put off by the smart meters.”

Approximately 3,000 out of the utility’s 30,000 customers have opted not to have a wireless smart meter.

Koloa resident Ted Blake said he couldn’t understand how the issue got this far — with a costly election on the horizon.

“I believe that the language should be very plain, you’re either for it or against it,” he said. “I mean you’ve got 90 percent that say ‘Yes’ and 10 percent that say ‘No.’”

The fees in question include a one-time set-up charge (ranging from $50.64 to $138.80) as well as a $10.27 monthly fee for all customers who opt not to use the utility’s standard wireless smart meter.

Neal Chantara described the fees as “discriminatory” and “unfair.”

Several others, including petition drafter Jonathan Jay, said the fees must be included on the ballot.

Without them, Jay said the ballot is “incomplete.”

“The amount of the new fees should not be kept a secret from the KIUC voter,” he testified. “That ballot was incomplete, but you can fix it.”

One other major complaint was that the current language uses the word “customers” instead of “co-op members.”

KIUC CEO and President David Bissell said the term is appropriate because there are some KIUC “customers” who have chosen not to be “members.”

KIUC has said the special election, slated for sometime next month, will cost the membership $63,000.

A second public meeting to get input from co-op members begins at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17.

• Chris D’Angelo, environmental reporter, can be reached at 245-0441 or cdangelo@thegardenisland.com