Three of seven members of the Santa Barbara city council requested Southern California Edison to halt installation of “smart” meters April 28. The council members said they planned to hold public hearings to air concerns about the potential health effects and electricity price impacts of the meters. “We’ll see what is next, pending their reply,” Santa Barbara council member Frank Hotchkiss told Current. “If there isn’t one soon, I hope to put the question on the city council agenda.” Edison spokesperson Charlie Coleman said that company could not comment since it had not yet received the letter, but would respond directly to the council members after reading it. If Santa Barbara’s council officially calls for a moratorium on installation of the new meters--or adopts an ordinance banning their installation--it would be the first Southern California municipality to take such action. Santa Barbara would be joining 36 other communities--so far all in Pacific Gas & Electric territory--that have called for a halt to mandatory installation of the meters, according to Joshua Hart, Stop Smart Meters director.