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Board discusses downtown skyline lighting; committee to study LED upgrade
Summary
Board members discussed decades‑old skyline lighting, committee planning and a potential LED upgrade, and heard that some fixtures are obsolete and disconnected during building repairs; the board was told a lighting study funded in part by the West Bend Insurance Foundation will recommend options.
Board members and BID staff spent part of the Sept. 2 meeting reviewing the condition of downtown skyline lighting and broader architectural and streetscape illumination. Rebecca (board member) told the board she and a colleague found building lights downtown “spotty at best” and asked whether façade grant funds could help restore lighting.
John (BID staff) gave a status update on the skyline lighting, saying the system has been in place for decades and sections have been disconnected as property owners re‑roof or do tuckpointing. He said the system uses incandescent bulbs and that the city and BID have discussed engaging an electrical contractor to assess replacement options, including an LED upgrade that would reduce operating costs and maintenance. “It’s probably time for the entire system to be upgraded to, like, LED or something like that,” he said.
Staff said a committee has formed and received funding from the West Bend Insurance Foundation to develop a downtown lighting plan that will cover street lights, bridges, art and building architectural lighting as well as skyline lights. John said the BID has roughly $100,000 in a future projects account that typically funds large, one‑time capital purchases, and that a competitive procurement would follow the study if the board directs an upgrade. Board members noted that some lighting fixtures are now obsolete and that a standing inspection and maintenance contract might avoid accumulating larger repair needs.
No formal motion to alter budget allocations for lighting was made at the meeting; staff said the committee’s study and subsequent RFP would inform any funding decisions.
