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Unbelievably our City council voted unanimously to terminate an existing contract for free
city wide wi-fi offered by a local internet provider.
Sebastopol signed a contract (Nov 2007) with a local internet company to
allow the free wi-fi to be installed throughout the downtown and wherever a
consumer asked for it. (City wide) On Tuesday March 18 the council
unanimously terminated the contract, risking a lawsuit because they were
educated about the health issues, were presented with current science and
heard the concerns of electrosensitives. 500 people including many seniors
from a local senior housing community and health educators, businesses,
doctors signed a petition opposing wi-fi. The internet CEO spoke
after the council's decision and he gave them verbal reassurance that he
would not file a lawsuit.
At the hearing, Four out of five council members were present. There were at least 12
people who spoke to the
council opposing the contract and one spoke in favor. Dr. Jeff Fawcett
presented science as did Dr. Robert Rowen. A business owner spoke common
sense about not wanting wi-fi in his restaurant and about valuing
communication, person to person. Several of us presented personal ES
stories. I also presented the wi-fi disclaimer between the internet provider and the city of
Petaluma that illustrated free wi-fi was a hazardous security risk for users
as proof that this was not an "equal access for all" solution. Sandy Tate
represented the 72 seniors who signed a petition asking for no wi-fi on
their community room. Together we had 500 signatures asking for no wi-fi.
The Bioinitiative Report was talked about and the council was asked, did
they watch the DVD we made for them. Two said they watched it.
The council deliberated briefly. The mayor asked to postpone it for a month
and then the two sympathetic carried it through requesting a terminated
contract despite the risk of a lawsuit. The rest of the council followed.
One councilmember thanked us for educating the council and
considered her early decision a hasty one. She said she is taking steps to
reduce her and her daughter's RF exposure.
When they voted unanimously I was so stunned, yet overwhelmingly grateful,
and very relieved.
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