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City staff: lighting 2,000 alleyways would add $280k–$340k annually; board weighs targeted approach
Summary
Public‑works staff told the board that adding lighting to drivable/open alleyways would add roughly 2,000 lights and increase the city's electric bill by an estimated $280,000–$340,000 per year; directors discussed targeted pilots, ownership alternatives, and using crime heat maps to prioritize installations.
Director of Public Works Matt Meeker told the board a citywide alleyway lighting program that covered drivable/open alleys would add about 2,000 lights and increase the annual electric expense by roughly $280,000 to $340,000. "If we added lighting to everything... it would add approximately somewhere in the neighborhood of $280,000 to $340,000 a year to our electric bill for lighting," Meeker said.
Directors discussed alternatives, including buying and installing lights as capital items and paying only incremental power charges rather than the current utility pole service arrangement. One director noted prior reviews did not find a cost advantage to the city taking over the system, and staff cautioned that solar fixtures have battery life and maintenance costs that eventually recur.
Board members recommended a more targeted, data‑driven approach: overlay police crime heat maps with dark spot inventories to prioritize high‑call areas for pilot lighting rather than city‑wide rollout. Several directors suggested a phased pilot or targeted program to limit recurring operating costs and test efficacy before expanding.
