Dive Summary:

• The Sebastopol, California City Council is on the verge of passing an emergency ordinance that will make it illegal for utilities to install a smart meter.
• Despite fears that the city doesn't even have this power, the ban seems imminent; City Manager Larry McLaughlin said that if meters are installed after the ordinance passes he expects the police to cite them.
• The ordinance would consider installation by Pacific Gas & Electric or its contractors a misdemeanor with the potential for fines set by Sebastopol's chief of police.

From the article:

McLaughlin declined to discuss the legality of the proposed ordinance. However, he noted that a number of city attorneys believe that statewide rules adopted by the California Public Utilities Commission have pre-empted local authority to regulate SmartMeter installation. ...