Alpine council reviews dark-sky enforcement plan; one year until compliance deadline

Alpine city officials and outside experts on Thursday reviewed steps the city will take to implement its outdoor lighting, or “dark sky,” ordinance and urged stepped-up outreach and enforcement with about one year remaining before the ordinance’s compliance deadline. The discussion, led by Steven Hummel of McDonald Observatory and Building Official Jessica Isley, outlined outreach already done, remaining technical work with businesses and a path for citizens to submit complaints. The dark-sky ordinance was adopted July 6, 2021, and the five-year compliance window means July 6, 2026 is the target for full enforcement, Hummel said. “We have about a year… to get there,” he said. Hummel added that most city-owned lighting is already compliant, but commercial sites remain the largest problem. Why this matters: Alpine’s dark skies are a tourism asset and the ordinance sets technical and enforcement requirements for outdoor lighting citywide. Council members said they…