| Attend the next City Council Meeting on Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 7:00 PM. We need supporters to attend and speakers to make statements at Tuesday's meeting. The holidays will be coming, and all will be busy, so please attend this meeting to let Council know that you are engaged and are participating in your government. Remember that Council passed the NSGI during the holiday season, when taxpayers were busy attending to their families.
Page 318-Agenda Item K1 is requesting the approval of another $1.45 million to West Monroe Partners
http://www.naperville.il.us/ccpacket/cc20111101p.pdf Staff is recommending that the City award West Monroe Partners (WMP) an additional $1.45 million dollars now claiming that this is the "second half of Phase 3" of their award:
On 4/20/2010 WMP was awarded $347,400
On 7/20/2010 WMP was awarded $1,379,277
On 1/04/2011 WMP was awarded $1,930,734 Total to date: $3.65 million dollars
City staff is recommending yet another $1.45 million dollars be paid to West Monroe Partners, a technical consulting firm with no prior smart grid deployment experience. The additional $1.45M will bring the total money awarded to West Monroe Partners to $5.1 million dollars.
But the Naperville Sun has reported differently. According to an article printed on 12/30/2010: http://napervillesun.suntimes.com/news/3070627-418/contract-smart-council-electricity-grid.html "Basically West Monroe Partners has been navigating us throughout this whole project," said Nadja Lalvani, community relations manager for the city. "It's a huge project. There's just so many moving parts."
The 12/2010 article discusses the 3rd and final phase, but the city says this weeks vote is for the 2nd half of phase 3. How many phases will there be?
WMP has missed the boat on a few items: 1) They miscalculated the number of Tropos units needed for the communications system (these are the military strength units attached to the top of light poles and increase the radiation exposure). We have gone from 150 to around 250 units. 2) 10% of the meters in the pilot program were not read properly. The city claims it was because of the communications system. Others read it as a 10% failure rate. Call it what you want, 10% still didn't function properly. The city missed the boat on a few items as well: 1) Committing to a highly controversial and costly technology without consulting the very people that put them in office..the ones to whom they are ultimately accountable. 2) Not giving residents a choice about the installation of smart meters on their homes. "You'll take it and like it" is the prevailing attitude from the council. 3) Extorting $300 a year from residents that want to protect themselves from the harmful radiation exposure emitted from the smart meters. "Everyone is getting a smart meter; it may harm you, but if you pay us we'll do a little something to make it safer", is what some residents are hearing amongst the rhetoric spewed from certain council members and the utility's director. 4) Residents are also upset that the city has been dismissive, rude, and argumentative with their fellow residents that are engaging their local government and expressing concerns. The city says smart meters are required for all residents. We say, who gives the city that authority? Come to the council meeting to voice your concerns and tell the city council that they work for you, and you don't want a smart meter on your home or in your community. Arrive by 6:30 to get signed in to speak. Meeting starts at 7 pm. 400 S Eagle St, Naperville. | 
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