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Wickliffe asks FirstEnergy to use lowest acceptable LED wattage on new streets
Summary
Council discussed resident complaints about bright LED streetlights and directed staff to request lower-wattage fixtures for new street replacements (except state route 84). The city will also ask the utility about shielding and bulb availability.
Residents reported concerns about the brightness and color temperature of newly installed LED streetlights. The mayor relayed constituent feedback and said she had discussed options with the city's FirstEnergy contact.
"One of the things we could do is just have some verbiage in that addendum that just says any lights being replaced in the future be the lowest wattage which are still bright that would be 50 watts," the Mayor said, introducing a possible amendment to the city’s agreement with the utility.
Council members and staff noted two causes for apparent inconsistencies: a national shortage of some LED bulbs and variation in fixture lumens and color temperature. FirstEnergy staff reportedly told the city that when a resident complains, a shield can be installed but the city may bear that cost.
Council agreed to ask FirstEnergy to install the lowest lumen/wattage fixtures acceptable for safety on newly replaced municipal streets going forward, with one exception: State Route 84 was excluded from that instruction. Service staff will follow up with the utility to identify exact lumen/wattage specifications and to track requests for shields on existing fixtures.
No ordinance was enacted; direction given was administrative and will be implemented through the municipal contact with FirstEnergy.
