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Council members press City Light on streetlight outages as public‑safety and CPTED concern
Summary
At the June 9 briefing councilmembers raised a backlog of streetlight outages and damaged infrastructure, linking lighting repairs to crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) and asking for briefings from Seattle City Light.
Councilmembers at the June 9 briefing raised concerns about a backlog of streetlight outages and damaged streetlight infrastructure, urging City Light to brief the full council because lighting ties directly to crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED).
One councilmember referenced a Seattle Times article and said the problem goes beyond burned‑out bulbs: “many of the street lights are damaged. Copper wire is stripped out. So it's more complicated, takes longer to fix than just switching out a burned out bulb.”
Councilmembers said staffing and labor constraints at Seattle City Light contribute to the backlog and noted that some repairs require more complex work than a simple bulb replacement. One member offered to arrange a City Light briefing for the full council so noncommittee members could question department leadership about repair timelines and alternatives to copper wiring.
No formal action was taken at the briefing; several councilmembers said they would follow up in committee and through direct meetings with City Light leadership. The council member who chairs the City Light‑related committee said Director Lindell is scheduled to meet with them and that staff will surface options for addressing copper theft and long‑term repair strategies.
