LIHUE — The ballot question is crafted. But before going out to vote, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative wants to know what its members think of how to word the yes-or-no decision point. Beginning next week, the public will have two
LIHUE — The ballot question is crafted.
But before going out to vote, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative wants to know what its members think of how to word the yes-or-no decision point.
Beginning next week, the public will have two opportunities to provide input on ballot language for KIUC’s special election related to smart meters. The upcoming election — expected to cost co-op members $63,000 — will take place in January, although exact dates have not been determined.
Up for vote is whether the extra costs of reading and servicing old electric meters should be shared by the entire co-op membership, or remain with just those customers who opt not to have the new technology.
But so far, the ballot question doesn’t include details about the specific fees that members will be voting on.
“This ballot allows members of Kauai Island Utility Cooperative to approve or reject an action by KIUC Board of Directors,” reads a draft version, agreed upon Wednesday 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.”
Public meetings have been scheduled for 5 p.m. Dec. 9 and Dec. 17 at the KIUC office in Lihue.
KIUC spokesman Jim Kelly said the meetings will allow time for the board to get input from the members on what they believe the ballot should say.
The three drafters of the petition which gathered enough signatures to put the issue to vote and aims to stop the co-op from charging the additional fees to only specific customers, met with a committee of the KIUC board last week to work out election details.
“Going in, we wanted ballot language that was simple, easy to understand, narrowly focused on the action the board took to approve new fees, and to say what those fees were,” petition drafter Jonathan Jay wrote in a recent email. “After about an hour of back and forth, we got three out of four.”
Jay said not including the fees leaves the ballot “incomplete.” He said the KIUC committee wanted to leave the fees out. The fees, which were approved by the Public Utilities Commission in October, 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.
“How can members be expected to vote on new fees if they don’t know what they are?” he wrote.
However, KIUC Board Member Calvin Murashige said he and the other committee members felt simplicity would be best, as those who want additional information can easily obtain it.
“This doesn’t stop the other side from informing the public about what a yes or no vote means,” he said. “We thought keeping it simple would perhaps get a better response from the public.”
Murashige said the vote is about a decision of the KIUC board and that the different fees would only clutter the ballot.
There are several different cost scenarios, depending on whether it is a residential or commercial customer, as well as which type of non-standard meter used. The minimum price tag for the additional non-smart meter fees is $173.88 for the first year. The maximum is $262.04.
Each co-op customer will have a chance to vote in the upcoming election. If a simple majority of members vote to overturn the board’s decision, the costs to service the old meters could be shared by the full membership, which KIUC has said would work out to just under $1 per month.
However, Kelly said this is “uncharted territory.”
While the vote could potentially reverse the decision of the KIUC board to request the fees, it would not necessarily reverse the decision of the PUC to approve them. PUC would have the final say.
“If the board action is overturned, then the board will take the appropriate action which is to withdraw the tariff filing,” Kelly said. “What’s unclear is the outcome.”
Currently, 3,050 out of the utility’s 30,000 customers have opted not to have a smart meter, with many voicing concerns about health and privacy. Another 250 have not had smart meters installed because of issues involving access or electrical work that needs to be completed, according to Kelly.
