Councilors devoted significant discussion to a long-running backlog of broken or obsolete sidewalk and decorative streetlights across Port Orange and to how the city should pay to repair or replace them.

Council members said some lighting installations are inconsistent — different fixture types, varied power sources and a mix of ownership and maintenance arrangements — which complicates repairs. One councilor cited staff pricing showing roughly $115,000 to replace about 50 fixtures west of Interstate 95, and several members said that sum would expand quickly if the city tried to standardize lighting across larger stretches.

Council members and staff described a two-track approach: (1) pursue a feasibility study with the regional transportation planning organization and the Florida Department of Transportation for the large corridor from the railroad tracks east to Taylor Branch Road to determine whether DOT could maintain or fund a state-standard system; and (2) prepare a pragmatic city-wide plan for consistent, sustainable lighting patterns and maintenance costs. "It just doesn't seem like it's a sustainable...to keep maintaining specialty people and specialty lights," a councilor said.

Councilors also tied the lighting question to the broader budget conversation for the upcoming fiscal year. Several members pressed for a policy discussion on reserve levels and one-time versus ongoing funding, saying the council needs to decide how much of its reserves to allocate to one-time capital fixes such as lighting, sidewalks and stormwater projects.

No immediate appropriation was approved; council asked staff to return with a prioritized list of lighting projects, costs and policy options on reserve usage.