Middletown council approves purchase and LED conversion of town streetlights, selects repayment option

The Town of Middletown voted Wednesday to purchase its streetlights, convert fixtures to LED, and enter a maintenance arrangement intended to cut the town’s long‑term streetlight costs.

Town staff presented three financing options and recommended an option that combines state and utility incentives with an unbilled repayment mechanism. The council approved the resolution authorizing purchase and conversion and awarding the project to the selected contractor and engineering team.

Town staff described the project’s components and budget. The total project cost was estimated at $1,242,263, which includes a pre‑conversion survey, purchase cost for lights ($321,005), LED fixtures and conversion ($680,304), control hardware and communications ($113,619), a 10‑year communications prepaid license ($45,305), and a 5% contingency. Staff said first‑year maintenance is estimated at $37,018, with subsequent annual maintenance around $31,795.

The town expects $208,160 in incentives from Rhode Island Energy and an unbilled repayment of $672,577 applied to future electric bills over 60 months (estimated at $11,209.61 per month). Under the chosen option, the town would appropriate roughly $361,526 from the general fund to fund the remaining upfront costs. Staff and the town’s consultant said the measure will save more than $1 million over ten years compared with the town’s current streetlight tariff.

Will Livencott, a consultant with RPM, said his firm has assisted more than a dozen Rhode Island towns with similar conversions and helped the town verify savings and secure program information.

Councilors asked how soon the town would recoup the investment; staff replied that the town is projected to be cash‑positive in year two under the recommended option and that ongoing savings come from lower energy use, reduced maintenance, and shifting state‑road lights onto the Rhode Island Department of Transportation’s (RIDOT) account (approximately 192 units would be moved off the town’s bill). Staff also noted a limited procurement window to lock pricing and incentives.

The resolution authorizes the town administrator to execute conversion agreements, accept the utility incentives, and notify RIDOT upon completion. Staff said the project includes an initial inventory and survey to identify redundant or unnecessary lights and to limit light spill onto private property.

Why it matters: Converting to LED with controllable fixtures is intended to reduce energy and maintenance costs, improve lighting control, and remove some state‑road lights from the town budget. Officials estimated ten‑year net savings in the low‑seven figures.

Implementation notes: Staff said the selected vendor’s pricing was based on a competitively bid East Greenwich procurement that other towns can piggyback; the town has a narrow window to accept the price and incentives.