Council approves energy-savings contract with ESG to modernize street lighting

The Lebanon City Council on May 27 authorized city staff to proceed with a contract with ESG for a street‑lighting modernization project after a staff recommendation under Indiana Code IC 36‑1‑12.5.

Kevin Kralik, a city staff member who presented the item, said the process began with a request for proposals and sought “to determine the most qualified contractor with the providing the greatest value to the city.” He said the goals were “to look at reducing costs, increasing efficiencies, [and] improve infrastructure,” and that the recommended first phase would focus on street lighting modernization, including LED fixtures, decorative poles, and control systems.

Kralik told the council the city received three proposals and that staff consulted with the electric department — naming David Bailey and Ed Baskill — who reviewed the submissions but did not recommend a specific contractor. “We want to focus on the first project being a street lighting modernization project,” Kralik said.

A councilmember moved to take the item off the table; the council voted to proceed and later approved the staff recommendation to enter into the contract with ESG, with the condition that any contract be subject to legal review and that the mayor be authorized to execute the agreement. The motion passed by voice vote; the transcript records no roll‑call tally of individual votes.

Discussion during the meeting distinguished between the recommendation to select ESG and later administrative steps: staff described the scope of a turnkey project (design through construction) and identified financing under the cited statute that limits the financing term. The council’s action was to authorize staff to move forward with ESG as the selected energy service company, with legal review and mayoral signature to follow.

The record does not include final contract terms, total project cost, or a definitive construction schedule; Kralik said financing could be structured “over a term not to exceed 3 years under the legislation,” but the council did not adopt any implementation timeline or specific cost estimate during the meeting.

Next steps noted in the discussion include legal review of any draft contract and execution by the mayor. Staff also indicated continued coordination with the electric department on inventory and operational needs for the lighting system.