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Selma council directs public works to install trees and cafe lights downtown within 60 days
Summary
After lengthy discussion about safety, business vitality and technical constraints on power circuits downtown, the council directed the city manager to have public works install trees and cafe-style string lighting on High and Second streets within 60 days and report progress to the council.
The Selma City Council on Jan. 21 directed the city manager and public works to install trees and cafe lights on High Street and Second Street and to produce a progress report within 60 days.
Mayor Scott Robertson said darkness downtown creates safety concerns for workers and customers and urged the city to move quickly. Councilmembers and business owners said improved lighting and greenery would support downtown activity and help people feel safer at night.
City Manager Fernando Santion cautioned the council that some existing street-light circuits downtown use an older arc circuit and that certain pole- and circuit-level electrical issues may require engineering work; staff said cafe-string lights could be deployed more rapidly while longer-term pole and circuit upgrades are studied. Public Works will evaluate whether tree wells, planters or containerized plantings ("tree buckets") are the most cost-effective near-term option.
Council vote: motion carried 4-1. Councilmember Trujillo voted no, citing preference for completing the downtown strategic-plan design before action.
Next steps: Public Works will produce a schedule and recommended tree and light styles for council approval and begin permitting/bidding as needed. Staff cautioned some elements may require procurement steps that exceed a 60-day window, and said cafe-string lights are the likeliest near-term implementation.
