Palatka commission backs one-phase push to replace streetlights with LEDs, asks finance for funding plan

The Palatka City Commission voted Thursday to authorize staff to work with the finance department on identifying funding for a one-phase replacement of the city’s public streetlights with LED fixtures.

Staff presented an FPL cost analysis that divided the city into three phases and showed capital costs for replacing existing luminaires and for removing older fixtures. Commissioners said public safety and crime-reduction benefits weighed heavily in favor of an accelerated schedule.

The commission’s motion asked finance to evaluate funding options to cover the total cost of replacing the identified fixtures in one phase rather than staggered years. Staff noted that, once contracted and paid for, FPL’s lead time is typically six to eight months to receive and install the replacement fixtures and that some project planning would be required for scheduling, temporary work and neighborhood notifications.

Commissioners asked staff to confirm FPL’s capacity to source and install the fixtures within a 12-month period and to return with a budget plan. Several commissioners cited neighborhood safety improvements following prior targeted lighting upgrades and urged the city to prioritize hotspots and high-crime areas first if a single-phase approach required staging.