LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In the wake of the Board of Supervisors' decision last week to implement a local moratorium and seek legal action to stop SmartMeter installations, the city councils of Clearlake and Lakeport are poised to consider taking their own actions to stop the advance of the wireless devices.

On March 8 the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in support of the moratorium and a possible injunction, as well as sending a letter of support to state leaders regarding AB 37, which promotes creating alternatives for consumers who don't want the meters.

In doing so, Lake County joined more than 30 other local governments around the state that have taken similar steps.

Then, on March 10, California Public Utilities Commission Chair Michael Peevey announced he had asked Pacific Gas and Electric to submit by March 24 a plan for allowing customers to opt out of having the meters, as Lake County News has reported.

In the interim, the CPUC – which maintains that it retains the authority to impose moratoriums, not local governments – has not ordered PG&E to stop the installations, and the company said it won't honor Lake County's moratorium.

Installations are continuing around the county, but customers can request that they be scheduled for a new meter at a later date, and can also post a sign on their analog meter asking that it not be replaced.

At the March 10 Clearlake City Council meeting, Council member Jeri Spittler asked for the council to considering taking similar action to that of the supervisors.

Interim City Administrator Steve Albright said he can have the city attorney look at the county's moratorium ordinance and use it as the basis for the city's action.

Spittler said Tuesday that the matter is expected to be agendized for the council's next meeting on March 24.

At the Lakeport City Council's 15-minute meeting on Tuesday – at which the main item was its approval of a hiring freeze exemption to allow the police department to fill an officer position opened by a retirement – staff asked if the council wanted to take its own SmartMeter action.

Utilities Director Mark Brannigan asked the question on behalf of City Manager Margaret Silveira, who was not at the meeting due to attending a conference out of town.

“Does it do any good if PG&E says they don't have to abide by that?” asked Councilman Tom Engstrom.

Brannigan said staff could bring to the council a series of recommendations similar to the county's three-part approach.

Mayor Suzanne Lyons said she's been contacted by community members who are concerned about the meters, adding that if people have concerns she believes the matter should be on the agenda. The rest of the council agreed.

Councilman Roy Parmentier said PG&E was at Lampson Airport installing the meters last week, and he told them not to install the devices on his hangars. He said they complied with his request.

“Can we piggyback off of the county’s ordinance?” he asked.

City Attorney Steve Brookes said that was an option, although he wasn't sure if a moratorium would work. He suggested it may be more fruitful at this time to support AB 37.

Parmentier asked if the county's moratorium encompasses the city. Brookes said no.

Brannigan said he and Brookes will work on preparing the matter for the agenda of the council's next meeting, scheduled for early next month.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .