Oshkosh Council Discusses Who Pays When Utility Poles Are Replaced

Oshkosh City Council members discussed Monday whether the city should change its approach to replacing aging street‑light poles owned by Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) and when the city should take ownership of street‑lighting infrastructure.

City staff briefed the council on three options: keep the current practice of letting WPS determine replacements and use wood poles unless the city pays an upcharge; budget proactively to pay for black fiberglass or aluminum decorative poles on corridors and gateway streets; or allow neighborhood groups or individuals to fund upgraded poles in specific areas. Jim, a city staff member who presented the report, said the city owns about 1,750 lights while the utility owns the remainder, roughly 73 percent of lights in Oshkosh.

The issue matters because several concrete poles installed in the 1970s are cracking and WPS has identified some as structurally deficient. “The official lifespan of a pole is about 20 years. However, the functional lifespan in Wisconsin is closer to 40 years,” Jim said. Staff noted that WPS sometimes replaces poles at no customer cost when replacements fall under the utility’s replacement plan, but other replacements can require either a monthly lighting contract or an upfront payment — the presentation cited an example of an upfront payment option of about $1,500 per pole in earlier years.

At issue for councilors were aesthetics, equity and long‑term costs. Some members said decorative black fiberglass or city‑owned aluminum poles improve neighborhood appearance on streets such as Jackson Street and Hazel Street; others emphasized budget limits and public safety, arguing any additional spending should prioritize adding lights where crime or safety concerns exist. One councilor asked staff to consider whether different fixture types (for example, cobra‑head fixtures that cast wider light) could achieve better illumination without adding poles.

Council members and staff discussed precedent: Jackson Street has an informal standing practice to replace like‑for‑like with fiberglass poles when feasible, a direction carried from previous council guidance in January 2023. Staff recommended continuing the current policy — use WPS standard replacements, pay the city upcharge for decorative corridor poles where the city has previously budgeted for them, and continue installing city‑owned poles when a reconstruction project makes new service feasible. That recommendation was presented as a status‑quo staff recommendation, not a formal council vote.

Councilors asked staff for follow up work before any policy change. Items requested include a breakeven analysis showing when it is cheaper to install city‑owned street‑lighting service (staff described a historical rule of thumb that a run of about five lights is a typical break‑even for installing city service), a review of clusters of lights that might be economical to convert, updated cost comparisons for fiberglass versus wood poles, and an analysis of whether buying “lights‑only” infrastructure (metering the lights at a transformer so the city owns only lighting equipment, not full distribution for homes) could save money over time. Jim and other staff said they would return with more detailed scenarios and cost estimates.

Speakers also raised operational concerns about taking on more infrastructure: city staff currently employ a small electrician crew to maintain city‑owned lights, while WPS maintains a larger workforce for utility poles and distribution. The city’s annual street‑lighting budget is about $1 million a year, primarily electricity costs plus rentals and purchases; staff noted WPS charges and lighting rates have increased recently and will continue to affect operating budgets.

No formal motion or vote was taken during the discussion. Staff left the meeting with direction to model costs and implementation scenarios and return to the council with more detailed recommendations and numbers.