Board debates AMI opt-out fees, medical exemptions and grandfathering for new homes

The board spent a substantive portion of its meeting examining the proposed AMI opt-out program design and fee structure. Staff described two principal opt-out options: a standard opt-out where the city installs a non-communicating meter and charges a one-time install fee (preliminary range $125–$175) plus a recurring monthly fee ($15–$30) to cover meter-reading and administrative costs, and a self-read opt-out where customers submit monthly reads via a portal and the city conducts periodic verification.

Several board members urged exemptions for customers with medical conditions who say they are sensitive to radio-frequency transmissions; one member said a licensed healthcare provider’s recommendation should waive opt-out fees. Staff responded that while medical exemptions could be considered, the city would still incur installation and manual-read costs and that waiving fees would shift those costs to other customers. The proposed eligibility rules included denying enrollment to accounts with delinquent bills, documented altercations with staff, or recent service interruptions; self-read participants must have internet access and meet read-schedule requirements.

Board members also discussed whether new-home construction should allow advance selection of non-communicating meters. Staff said the current approach would grandfather existing customers who opt out but would not allow new accounts to pre-select non-communicating meters before full AMI deployment, citing operational complexity and long-term manageability.

Staff proposed a three-strike enforcement rule: failure to meet opt-out program requirements three times within 12 months would trigger conversion to a communicating AMI meter with no option to reenroll. The board requested staff incorporate the board’s feedback and return recommended ordinance language and validated costs to council for formal adoption.