Agenda - Public Works Committee - 01/17/2006

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CASE # I CONSIDER ESTABLISHING PROCESS FOR SUBDIVISION STREET LIGHTING REQUESTS By: Steven Jankowski, City Engineer Background: The City has required the installation of subdivision street lights in urban subdivisions beginning in 1991. In addition a few rural subdivisions have also installed subdivision street lights either as a result of a petition (Pine Cove) or as a result of the developer choosing to have lights installed as a part of the subdivision infrastructure (White Oaks). Staffreceives periodic inquires from the public on the process for getting street lights installed in areas currently Without them. Staffhas advised such inquires that a petition to the City would be an appropriate method for initiating a street lighting request, however little additional details of the process can be provided since the City's Street Lighting policy does not address this aspect. It would be helpful to more fully develop a policy to describe this policy. The major areas of such a policy that would need to be addressed would include defining the area proposed to receive street lighting, and identifying the costs associated with installation and how these are to be financed. It would appear that installation costs in an existing urban subdivision could be expected to be in the neighborhood orS1000 per unit. These costs could be special assessed or could be recouped over a period of time as a supplemental charge on the street lighting utility billing. In addition, staff would note that street lighting is often a very polarized issue with many residents having both strong feelings of support and opposition. A public hearing is a required element of the special assessment process, and staff would recommend such a hearing be included in the process should some method other than special assessment be designated in the policy. Recommendation: Staffrecommends that staffbe directed to modify the existing street lighting policy to include a description of the process for installing lights in preexisting areas of the City based upon comments of the Public Works Committee. Action: Motion to recommend to City Council that staff be directed to modify the existing street lighting policy to include a description of the process for installing lights in preexisting areas of the City based upon comments of the Public Works Committee. Reviewed By: Public Works Director/Fire Chief Assistant Public Works Director/Principal Engineer Finance Officer PW: 01/17/06