Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dark Sky topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Apache Junction staff say urban night‑sky application advancing after lighting retrofits
Summary
City planner Kelsey Shatnick told the council the City Hall Campus lighting retrofits are complete and a preliminary application for an Urban Night Sky Place has been submitted for review; seven sports fields also earned dark‑sky certifications.
Kelsey Shatnick, a city planner, told the City Council of Apache Junction on April 15 that staff have submitted a preliminary draft of an Urban Night Sky Place application and are awaiting comments from the program liaison.
"We have submitted a preliminary draft to our dark sky liaison for comment," Shatnick said, describing a two‑phase retrofit of outdoor lighting on the City Hall Campus that preceded the application.
The council heard that Phase 1 — covering City Hall, the police department and associated parking lots — was completed toward the end of summer 2024, and Phase 2, covering the municipal golf course (MGC), the library, parks and additional parking lots, was primarily completed in winter 2024. Shatnick also reported that seven sports field lighting systems have received Phase 2 certification and will soon be announced as dark‑sky approved outdoor sports lighting.
The City proclaimed International Dark Sky Week during the meeting. Vice Mayor Robert Schroeder was recognized by councilmembers for initiating the city’s dark‑skies efforts.
Shatnick said staff are working through a few outstanding items discovered during Phase 2 and expect comments on the preliminary draft within a few weeks before formal submission to the review committee.
The update did not include a final submission date or a decision timeline from the reviewing body. No formal council action was taken on the application during the meeting.
