Committee defers Georgia Power street-light lease for two new DeKalb fire stations to explore alternatives

County staff presented a substitute for the Fire Station 16 and 17 street-lighting project that changes the funding mechanism and moves the project away from an immediate Georgia Power lease. The substitute would purchase lighting components but retain service arrangements with the utility during installation; transportation staff would pick up ongoing service fees once lights were active.

A county chief and staff explained the substitute reflected a funding-change and that price differences between the two station sites reflected different parcel and lighting needs. Chief-level staff said the total project cost remained consistent with previous estimates but individual station amounts varied by neighborhood characteristics.

Commissioner Terry criticized the Georgia Power street-light lease program and urged staff to consider county-metered street lights and eventual solar to reduce long-term costs. "This is a racket," Commissioner Terry said, urging the committee to examine whether setting up the county's own meter or other models could save money.

Staff said some procurement and ordering timelines with Georgia Power are time-sensitive but that a short hold could allow evaluation of alternatives. The committee voted to defer the substitute item for two weeks so transportation and relevant departments can assess the financial and operational trade-offs and return with a recommendation.

The motion to defer carried by voice vote; no funding change was approved at the meeting. The committee asked staff to present comparisons of the Georgia Power lease option and county-metered alternatives when it returns the item.