At the Sept. 9 Longmont City Council meeting Councilor Lauren Popkin asked about the scope of resident concerns over advanced meter infrastructure, commonly called smart meters. Assistant City Manager David Hornbacher and other staff told the council the issue affects a small number of customers.

Hornbacher said Longmont has "over 46,000 meters" in the community and that about "340 folks chose to do the opt out option." He and staff said fewer than 10 addresses had not selected either option; of those remaining, two meters are not mounted on houses and several others are in pedestals or yard corners where meters already cluster. Staff estimated that for most of the undecided cases the meter location is not on the home.

Councilors asked whether an "analog" (non-communicating) meter was an option. Utilities staff said manufacturers no longer produce new analog meters; available units would be refurbished and carry uncertain quality and no manufacturer warranties. Staff said the city's opt-out meter installation contains no communications module from the manufacturer and is not simply an AMI meter with the communications switched off.

City staff said one additional option is to relocate a customer's meter to an off-site pedestal or other non-house location, but that the relocation cost would be borne by the requesting resident. Hornbacher recommended against procuring refurbished analog meters because of warranty, reliability and safety concerns. Staff also described an appeal process that advances through several levels and culminates in review by an independent hearing officer appointed by the city manager; that hearing officer is not a city employee.

Why this matters: Councilors asked for clarity because the city has received recurring public comments on smart meters. Staff said the overall opt-out population is a small fraction of city meters and described administrative avenues for residents who continue to object, while noting technical and warranty constraints around refurbished analog meters.

What remains unresolved: staff said a small number of locations have meters off the home and that relocation at customer expense is an available option; the council did not take formal action on new policy at this meeting.