Collierville board adopts fixed streetlight fee schedule to speed development closings

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen on a unanimous vote approved a new policy setting fixed streetlight fees for commonly used fixture types and removing post‑installation refunds.

Town Engineer Dale Perriman presented the measure, saying the town’s current practice bases fees on a preliminary sketch and then reconciles costs against an asset sheet that can take a year or two to arrive. Perriman said the town tallied recent installation types and proposes fixed fee amounts to reduce delays in releasing developers’ letters of credit.

The new schedule sets example fees of $5,000 for the typical concrete subdivision pole, $9,000 for decorative poles, $2,000 for cobra‑head fixtures and $7,000 for miscellaneous poles, according to Perriman’s presentation. Perriman told the board the town’s streetlight inventory includes about 8,000 publicly owned fixtures and said staff and finance will update the schedule over time as prices change.

Mayor Maureen Frazier and all aldermen voted to approve the change after a motion and second; no member asked for the item to be pulled from the consent/discussion sequence. The motion carried with all recorded members voting yes.

The board directed staff to make the policy effective July 1 and to coordinate how fixture types are categorized and adjusted with municipal finance.

The measure replaces the prior practice of refunding overpayments or seeking additional funds after final installer asset sheets are received; under the new policy the town will not issue refunds after the fixed fee is paid.