What is your No. 1 campaign issue? Keeping Naperville united while we undergo the process of dividing the City into 5 districts to be represented on the Council.

What is your No. 2 campaign issue? Restoring City employee morale that has suffered after 3 straight years of layoffs, diminished employee benefits, and non-union salary freezes.

What is your No. 3 campaign issue? Emergency preparedness. Naperville needs to upgrade its communications capabilities to keep residents and businesses informed and provided with instructions during natural and man-made disasters. If there is any one thing that residents expect of their elected officials, it is making sure that the City can keep them safe during a disaster. We are not prepared to do that at present.

I’ve been asked, “Why isn’t the budget one of your most important issues??” Because in my view, we’ve been successful in showing, in each of the past three years I’ve been on the Council, that we can cut spending to more than offset the decreases in revenues coming into the City from taxes and fees. As I pointed out in an earlier posting, we’ve cut City employee headcount by more than 12%, from 1070 to 940 employees. Your city portion of the property tax bill even went down slightly last year with the decline in property values and the Council majority’s vote (including mine) not to the raise the tax rate to make up for the decrease in property tax dollars. Continuing to deliver “Great Service, All the Time”: that’s what “stressing the system” can achieve!! And I’m confident that we’ve now got the fortitude, policies and tools in place to meet whatever economic challenges may come our way.

What can be learned from the furor over the city giving police officers 3 percent raises, then enacting layoffs? It was wrong for the City to enter into a collective bargaining agreement with terms that it offered to the police union, including 3 percent annual raises and a 15% employee health insurance contribution effective on 11/1/11, and then immediately dismiss a number of union employees to offset the projected cost increase. Public safety employees should not be dismissed when there are back-office positions that can still be eliminated. The immediate dismissal of police union members also subjected the City to an Unfair Labor Practice claim, which the Executive Director of the Illinois Labor Board just last week concluded should be adjudicated before an administrative law judge. There is a substantial chance that the City will lose the ULP action, which would seriously undermine the City’s bargaining strength in upcoming union negotiations.

How should the city deal with its unions? By following the law, sharing complete and accurate information as to the City’s finances and service priorities, putting fiscally conservative but fair offers on the bargaining table, and then engaging in a restoration of constructive working relationships once the agreement is in place. Unfortunately, that didn’t occur during the recent negotiations with the police union.

Should the city agree to raises when it knows layoffs will result? In the case of public safety union negotiations, the City is required under State law to participate in Interest Arbitration, in which an arbitrator will select from one or the other of the City’s and police/fire union’s best and final offers. If the City and the public safety union cannot come to terms on their own, and the arbitrator imposes terms that the City can’t afford, then layoffs will result. In the case of non-union employees, the City should not agree to raises when it knows layoffs will result.

Feb 9, 2011 09:38PM

With the Naperville City Council set to vote Tuesday on the bill of rights for the smart grid initiative, some residents still are raising health concerns surrounding the project.

The proposal would put in writing the rights electrical customers in Naperville would have regarding information, privacy, options and data security under the new system.

Proponents of the smart grid say the project, which will upgrade the electrical infrastructure in the city, will lead to more efficient energy use and save money on customers’ monthly electric bills.

Some opponents have been concerned about the meter to be used to keep track of energy use at homes and businesses, saying there are still bugs to be worked out. Others have brought up potential health risks involved with the equipment.

Lisa Rooney of Naperville is concerned that the bill of rights “doesn’t address health concerns” and that is a “key component that needs to be added.”

“If the (meters) are installed and residents experience health concerns, such as headaches … there doesn’t seem to be any recourse,” she said.

She said some people seem to be “electro-sensitive,” and are affected more than others by the use of wireless technology such as cell phones and other devices. She believes the meters could aggravate those problems.

Sue Storm of Naperville said she has sensitivity to radio frequency transmissions. She said it is almost like an allergy. When she is around the transmissions she can get headaches, ringing in the ears and other symptoms. She is worried about what a new smart meter might mean to her lifestyle. Right now, she has to avoid Wi-Fi hot spots and has everything in her house hard wired. The new meter would make her life even more difficult, she said.

Proponents of the system, however, say the amount of radio frequency current generated by smart meters is relatively low, lower even than cell phones. They also point to several studies, including one from the California Council on Science and Technology, which say that the meters pose no health risk.

Rooney said she understands that there are “so many studies and opinions out there” on both sides of the smart meter issue.

“I think with any emerging technology (such as smart grid) that we should be proceeding with caution, and allow people choices on how much technology they use,” she said.

She would like to see residents able to opt out of the system for health and possibly other reasons.

City Councilman Robert Fieseler, who sits on the Smart Grid Steering Committee, said he takes health concerns about the meters seriously as well.

“It is generating a lot of buzz,” he said about the issue.

He said customers with health issues should have those matters addressed in some fashion.

“I think the prudent thing to do is to work on mitigation options” for those with concerns, he said. That doesn’t mean opting out of the system, he said.

According to Fieseler, the Public Utility Advisory Board may be a venue for people to bring concerns once the system is up and running.

However, although he said he is “open minded” to potential health issues, he believes the weight of evidence shows there to be no significant health or safety concerns from smart meters.

Despite that, he believes the health issue concerning smart meters needs to be discussed.

“I truly believe we need to have this aired,” he said.

To maintain our efficiency gains, we will have to continue to resist filling vacant positions until we see that core services like public safety would suffer if certain positions remained vacant. With the improving City revenue trends (sales tax receipts increasing, home value declines moderating), I’m hoping that further involuntary layoffs aren’t necessary in the near-term. But I’m proud of our progress in reducing the size of city government by constantly reminding my Council colleagues that we need to keep “stressing the system” while we continue to provide the level of service our residents and businesses demand and deserve.

Keeping the Children’s Museum in Naperville is a win-win-win-win for our city. #1 winners: Naperville kids, who will continue to learn in a fun setting that entire families enjoy. #2 winners: Naperville taxpayers, who now own strategically-located property worth twice what the City paid for it, and will be relieved from continuing to pay $250,000 in subsidies the city had been contributing to the Museum each year. #3 winners: Naperville commuters, who now have 57 additional parking spaces adjoining the downtown Naperville train platform. #4 winners: Naperville businesses, who will benefit from the many Museum visitors who patronize downtown retail stores and restaurants in substantial numbers.

I was recently asked whether I support leaving the Children’s Museum in place or freeing up the potentially valuable real estate at the city’s northern border for economic development. I support leaving the Museum in place so long as it complies with its obligations under the recent lease agreement with the city. If the Museum fails to comply with its obligations under the lease agreement, including the payment of rent beginning in year six, then I would not hesitate to dismiss the Museum from the property and consider how to best derive value of from the land, including by selling it.

It was the 10th day of Christmas, but lords a-leaping just didn’t seem like the appropriate gift for a Naperville woman and her children who fell on hard times and had their home’s water turned off.

Happily for the family, Naperville Councilman Bob Fieseler had the ideal solution.

Remi Kelani came before the city council Jan. 4 and told officials how she and her three children had been living in their home for nearly a week without water.

Kelani said she was struggling financially and couldn’t afford to pay both the $325 deposit necessary to reconnect to the water system and the nearly $450 she still owed for unpaid water bills. She could pay the back fees, she said, but not the reconnection fee.

Fieseler told her he might be aware of a revenue source that could help her out.

Soon after, he left the dais and came back without saying a word until days later when a reporter asked what happened.

“I left the council chambers to get her contact info and three people gave me cash, enough that we all were able to accumulate the $325 she needed and she was able to walk out of the building with the deposit,” Fieseler said. “I was at the dais wondering and praying how I could come up with the money and lo and behold it came about.”

All that praying may have helped, but Fieseler also had some more practical help.

“I do keep a portion of the money I’m paid by the city as a councilman in a separate fund so I can help people out as situations arise, but I didn’t have enough that day to cover all that she needed,” he said. “I’ve done things like this in the past and I’m happy to continue doing them under the right circumstance.”

Kelani’s water was turned back on by 4 p.m. the next day and City Manager Doug Kreiger confirmed her bill was paid in full.

“I am very thankful to the councilman who assisted me that night,’ Kelani said Monday. “I will be sending him a card or some other token of my appreciation.”

Fieseler said he never expected to get paid for any work as a part-time local elected official, so he though the idea of using a portion of his council earnings to help residents in need was in keeping with his desire to serve the residents.

“I started to put aside money with the first monthly paycheck I received from the city in 2007, ” he said. “I get paid $789 per month after taxes and deductions, but I try to keep about $500 at any given time available for resident emergencies I become aware of.”

Since 2007, Fieseler said he’s dipped into the fund for such things as buying a needy family athletic passes so they could see their son’s basketball games and has donated funds for a local student to buy a used laptop computer.

“Every three to four months, something seems to come up that gives me a chance to donate to a resident who needs help,” he said. “I once met someone from another suburb who told me that his car had been towed from Washington Street one afternoon, and that he would never come back to shop or dine in Naperville. I bought him a gift card for a nice dinner at one of our high-end restaurants and he wrote me afterward to tell me how much better he now felt about Naperville.”

Several other councilmen said they give back to the community in other ways, but most were unaware of Fieseler’s emergency fund.

Mayor George Pradel said he was impressed with Fieseler’s actions.

“He’s a giving, loving kind of guy. I know he does it because he believes in always trying to help someone make it in life. I just love that big ol’ teddy bear Bob” Pradel said. “It really touched my heart.”

Councilman Grant Wehrli agreed.

“I had no idea that’s how Councilman Fieseler was doing what he’s doing. Good for him. That’s very nice of him,” Wherli said. “My practice is to give a portion of my overall income to charity and do that at my own discretion.”

Councilmen Kenn Miller gives to his church, and Doug Krause also said the gives to charities.

“I’ve made my own private donations to causes important to me and (Fieseler), on several occasions, matched my donation,” Krause said. “So we all do it, just in different ways.”

Copyright © 2010 Paddock Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thankfully, Mayor Pradel, who couldn’t attend the October 5 meeting, joined with Councilman Furstenau and me to put the proposal to continue the program back before the entire Council. I’m proud to report that the Mayor’s vote resulted in a 5-4 majority of Council now favoring the program’s continuation. This means that patrons of our downtown restaurants and bars will no longer have the prospect of receiving a $15 parking ticket dissuade them from making the responsible decision to leave their cars overnight and get a ride home from a friend or take a cab. And that’s good news for all of us who want to keep over-served drivers off our roads.

If Naperville City Council members truly want to save money and send a cost-cutting message to employees, Councilman Robert Fieseler says there’s no time like the present.

Fieseler caused fur to fly during a late Monday budget discussion by suggesting all eight council members reduce their annual pay to $10,000 from their current salaries ranging from $11,413 to $11,687, as well as foregoing the $1,200 annual stipend for Internet and cell-phone costs and eliminating the health benefits package available to elected officials.

He also asked Mayor George Pradel to cut his salary from $28,533, including his pay as liquor commissioner, to $20,000, along with reducing his other benefits.

“Let’s resolve right now to change the salary moving forward to $10,000 and take away the (benefits and annual stipends) starting on May 1, 2011,” Fieseler said after promising to expose the elephant in the room. “That might get some people to come to council and speak on whether council should make a certain number of dollars and we don’t have this ‘Do I decide to turn it back?’ question every year.”

Ironically, Fieseler and Councilman Doug Krause were the only two members to accept the 2.4 percent pay increase offered to council members this past June, which put their salaries at $11,687.

“As I said at that time, I thought the giveback that several of my colleagues did was grandstanding and pretty much meaningless,” Fieseler said. “If you want to make a statement, roll back the increases and give up the other perks.”

The worst, he said, is the roughly $1,000 monthly cost for each council member who pays a 15 percent premium for the same health care package available to employees.

“We shouldn’t be paying councilmen health benefits. That’s a worse deal than the $11,000 we’re being paid,” he said. “I think we ought to be intellectually honest and take our pay back to $10,000 and have people pay for their own health care.”

Councilman Paul Hinterlong was Fieseler’s only vocal supporter, especially regarding the $1,200 annual stipend.

“You could cut my pay and I would probably vote for it but benefits are available to me just as they are for every other city employee,” said Councilman Grant Wehrli before also declining to give up the annual stipend. “Part of what this job is all about is being available and accessible to the residents. They can call me on my cell phone. It’s on my business card. They can e-mail me because my e-mail address is on my business card.”

Councilman and likely mayoral candidate Kenn Miller also scolded Fieseler and called his timing inappropriate. “I work for this city about 50 percent of the time so excuse me if they want to offer me benefits,” Miller said. “I appreciate that.”

Councilman Dick Furstenau questioned why councilmen get paid at all if it only amounts to $1.25 an hour but said he learned the hard way how good the benefits package can be.

“When I first got here, everyone was complaining that the benefits were no good and the only way to figure that out was to get on the plan,” he said. “So I got on the plan and I found out the benefits are the best around. And we started charging people, at this council’s instance, about eight or nine years ago.”

Before Pradel sent everyone home to “cool off” from the heated 12-minute debate, Furstenau said things got out of hand.

“I don’t think an issue exists,” he said. “You put the kind of time in that we put into this place, a few extra bucks to buy dinner afterward isn’t going to hurt anybody.”

The city’s next budget workshop is scheduled for 5 p.m. Nov. 30.

Copyright © 2010 Paddock Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.

Naperville owns and runs its own electric utility. Most of the cities around us sold out years ago to private utility companies like Commonwealth Edison, and their residents and businesses have no choice but to use the equipment and pay the rates the utility company demands. Fortunately, our City fathers made sure that Naperville kept control of its own electrical system, and since 1899 we’ve been providing power throughout our City. Because we’re not a for-profit enterprise, our rates are low. And because we don’t have to maximize short-term, we can make longer-term investments in equipment and controls that give us some of the most reliable electric service in America.

Some Naperville residents might remember the early-1980s, when the electricity would regularly go out, because there were just too many homes and businesses drawing power from our aging system of overhead wires and too few substations to handle the City’s growth. At that time, the Naperville City Council made the wise decision to invest more heavily in its electrical infrastructure, and the City began burying its wires underground (in an arrangement that resembles a grid), so that storms couldn’t knock them down (neighborhoods also look better without overhead wires).

Naperville also started modernizing the equipment that directs the electricity from the moment it comes into town via high-voltage lines to the time it enters our homes. As a result, the reliability of our electrical system has improved dramatically: in 1996 we experienced a total of 90 minutes without electricity; in 2009 the total outage time was less than 25 minutes.

We were on track to do even better because we planned to continue updating our equipment and controls with planned investments of about $2-3 million per year. In 2009 the opportunity came to apply for a grant the U.S. Department of Energy offered to cities like Naperville that ran their own electric utilities. To get the grant, the City had to agree to match the $11 million amount the DOE was offering to help Naperville finish building an electrical system with the most advanced equipment and controls. The City also had to agree to complete the project by the end of 2012.

The City already had plans to invest $9 million of its own between 2010 and 2012 to make the periodic updates to its electric system. And the City had plans beyond 2012 to continue those infrastructure upgrades to improve reliability even more, including buying and installing new electric meters to replace the old meters, some dating back to the 1950. So the City Council decided in late 2009 to accelerate its investment plans, and put an additional $2 million into its 2010-2012 modernization program so the City could qualify for the $11 million federal grant. We now had $22 million to accomplish the things we didn’t expect to do for years, including the installation of Smart Meters.

A Smart Meter measures the amount of electricity entering a building and then sends periodic signals to tell a control center that electricity is flowing through the building the way the owner wishes.

The old meters had just one purpose: to measure the amount of electricity entering a building between the first day of the month and the last day of the month. Smart meters will still measure the amount of electricity entering a building, but more frequently than just once per month. In fact, Smart Meters will take and store measurements every 5 or 10 minutes, and send signals to a control center that’s making sure electricity is flowing smoothly to every one of Naperville’s 57,000+ residential and business customers. If a disruption occurs, and no electricity is flowing through it, the Smart Meter will send a signal to the control center so that corrective action can be taken immediately, unlike old meters where the customer would have to call the utility to report a power outage.

At the same time, Smart Meters can connect up to appliances within the building. Once electricity is delivered to a building via the Smart Meter, it’s used to power various pieces of electrical equipment, like appliances (dishwashers, televisions, microwaves), as well as air-conditioners and heaters in outdoor pools and hot tubs. The electricity can also be used to charge the batteries of vehicles. If you choose, specific equipment in your home could be connected to the Smart Meter to send signals about how much electricity the appliance is using. Your Smart Meter could be configured to send signals to turn the equipment on or off, or make adjustments to the way the equipment is operating, enabling you, the customer, to be in control of when and how electricity is used.

What about Risks You’ve Heard Talk About?

You might ask, with all the signals being transmitted between the Smart Meter and the control center and the electrical equipment being powered, isn’t there a possibility for mischief? If customers can use Smart Meters to turn equipment on or off or adjust it in some way, can’t the control center or even hackers take control of the equipment? The answer to those questions, of course, is yes and yes. Just as eavesdroppers could illegally tap into phone lines, and hackers can illegally disrupt a computer network, Smart Meter technology can be misused. That’s why a large portion of the $22 million project is being spent to install safeguards upon safeguards to protect the privacy and security of our residents and businesses, so that Smart Meters can’t be used in a way that’s contrary to customers’ wishes.

And while we’re on the subject, with all the measuring of electricity usage that’s going on within the Smart Grid, isn’t there a possibility that those running the utility will find out when people are using electricity the most and try to jack up the rates at those peak times to make more money? That could be a possibility. However, it is the responsibility of the City to provide reliable and affordable power to businesses and residents, and any Council that engages in rate gouging can, and I would say should be voted out of office.

Your Rights Spelled Out From the Start

From the outset, Naperville’s Smart Grid Initiative Steering Committee has been developing a Smart Grid Customer Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights sets out privacy, security and rate-charging standards that will be binding on City Councils now and in the future.

Once the Smart Grid components are in place, including the Smart Meters, Naperville will be also be able to offer its electric customers the option of time-of-use and flat rate pricing. Right now, Naperville electric customers pay for their service at a flat rate that doesn’t differ according to when the power is being used. With Smart Meters continuously measuring and monitoring electricity usage, customers can make choices about whether to stay on a flat rate or to switch to time-of-use rates. Just as with cell phone packages, some customers’ usage patterns will make flat rate the less expensive alternative while for others who might use a substantial amount electricity at non-peak times, a time-of-use rate will be the less expensive alternative. Either way, it’s the customer’s choice.

Imagine being able to choose to power down the heater to your hot tub when you won’t be using it for some time, or plan to charge your car during the least expensive rate periods. You will choose to control how your electricity budget works best for your needs. I think it’s a great step in a long line of great and beneficial technology firsts Naperville can be proud of.

Thanks for letting me share my views with you on this important topic. All the best, ~Bob.