Committee recommends against streetlight rate increase, refers pole-replacement cost study to staff

At its Aug. 11 Finance & Economic Development Committee meeting, the Maumee City Council committee voted to recommend that council move forward without a proposed streetlight rate increase and referred a staff study on pole replacement and alternatives to city staff.

The committee said the proposed small rate increase — which staff estimated would generate about $30,000 annually — should be paused while staff returns with more detailed cost and operational options for replacing or assuming responsibility for poles now owned by Toledo Edison. Committee members also asked staff to explore joining nearby jurisdictions in discussions with the utility and to examine solar-powered pole alternatives.

Committee members and staff discussed operational and safety issues tied to aging utility poles. Staff reported that Toledo Edison is planning to replace 18 poles in a business area after determining the feeders to those poles were not aerial, contrary to some local assumptions. The committee heard an estimate from the vendor side that a new pole could cost about $10,000 and a luminaire about $1,500. The Public Utilities Commission is investigating the condition of several poles and performs inspections on a roughly seven-year schedule, staff said.

Staff told the committee the streetlight fund operating costs are about $300,000 annually. Without the proposed increase, the fund would generate roughly $765,000; with the increase, staff estimated roughly $795,000. Committee members said a pause on the increase would not create an immediate financial shortfall but would give staff time to study options and coordinate with neighboring communities.

Members discussed technical constraints on placing additional poles on state-controlled streets and the city’s dark-sky policies, which affect pole height and luminaire choices. Committee members also raised concerns about taking over utility-owned poles without clear assurances about long-term maintenance and about a historical example in another city where utility-owned poles were repossessed and neighborhoods were left without lighting.

The committee made two related referrals: to recommend that council proceed without any rate increases and to direct staff (capital projects and finance) to analyze the cost differential between leaving poles with Toledo Edison and replacing/owning poles (including a review of solar-pole options and the feasibility of coordinated discussions with nearby jurisdictions and the utility). The motion to recommend proceeding without rate increases was seconded and, when the roll was called, the recorded responses in the transcript were Barrow — yes; Perez — yes; Papa Burger — yes. The committee also directed staff to have ordinance language updated to reflect the removal of the increase for council consideration by the Aug. 18 meeting.

Next steps: staff will prepare a cost analysis and meet with relevant staff and, if appropriate, representatives from neighboring jurisdictions and the utility. Committee members asked for the ordinance updates to be on the Aug. 18 council meeting agenda.