Rooftop lighting project delayed; business access and billing concerns raised

Commissioners were told rooftop lighting upgrades for Old Webster have been delayed while the contractor finishes work in other districts. A staff member said the contractor is finishing Old Orchard and Crossroads first and that Old Webster is next on the schedule, but staff did not have firm installation dates. Commissioners said the contractor’s scheduling has caused business owners to miss crews when they arrive and described coordination problems. Members noted some building owners reported higher electric bills after new lights were installed in other districts. One commissioner said the actual per‑building cost discussed in the meeting was small—examples cited ranged from roughly $15 to $35 per year; staff offered to provide a meter and help measure actual usage if an owner is concerned. The commission asked staff to locate the prior lighting audit and an inventory (an earlier audit was mentioned as having been done with an electrical firm). Staff said they would search for the prior spreadsheet and distribute it to the commission and to the contractor to improve scheduling and access coordination. No formal remedy or change in funding was recorded during the meeting.