Missoula council creates three special lighting districts to reimburse developers for streetlights

The Missoula City Council on June 9 approved a resolution to create Special Lighting Improvement Districts 53, 54 and 55 to reimburse developers for the design and installation of streetlights in new subdivisions.

City Engineer Troy Monroe told the council the SLDs are intended to cover the capital costs developers incurred installing streetlights adjacent to collector and arterial streets. “The SLDs will pay the developers annually over a 15 year payment period,” Monroe said during the public hearing, adding that the assessments are calculated on parcel area and placed on the tax rolls.

The vote follows a presentation that traced Missoula’s lighting history, described a 2019 consultant recommendation favoring city ownership of lights, and outlined recent installations in the Mullen area. Monroe said 12 lights have been installed in three recently completed subdivisions — Heron’s Landing, McNett Flats and Hellgate Village — and that other nearby projects will add lights over time along Chuckwagon Drive, England Boulevard, Mary Jane Boulevard and Doherty Drive. He said developer reimbursements are expected about 18 months after…