City reviews street‑lighting program after years of vandalism and aging fixtures; ordinance and assessment process discussed

City officials gave a verbal update to the council on the Office of Street Lighting’s policies and programs, describing long‑standing vandalism, a large inventory of aging fixtures and rising repair costs and outlining a path toward a property‑assessment vote under Proposition 218.

The presentation was made by José Carmiga García, identified in the meeting as director of the Office of Street Lighting, with technical detail from Victor Turch, a senior engineer in the office. They told the council that roughly 80,000 fixtures are near or at end of life and that material and labor costs have risen sharply in recent years. The office said a basic lamp replacement costs about $300; second‑level restoration runs about $500–$700 per fixture; and “fortification” measures to harden equipment cost roughly…