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Lighting committee pushes municipal streetlight purchase after delays and demands from Pepco
Summary
The towns lighting committee, led by Virginia Quezada and Robert Johnson, reported progress toward municipal streetlight ownership but said Pepco has slowed the process and asked towns to pay for disconnect switches; the committee is coordinating with other municipalities and the Public Service Commission.
Rob, speaking about the Lighting Committee, described a multi-year effort to pursue municipal ownership of streetlights as a way to save money and better preserve the towns historic lighting. He said the committee has worked with other municipalities and the Public Service Commission to reach a final agreement and expects a vote on purchase when terms are presented to the town.
Rob said the town has encountered obstacles from Pepco, which he said has "dragged their feet" and proposed that municipalities pay for disconnect switches, a requirement the town and other municipalities consider cost-prohibitive. "It would cost almost by five times the amount of repurchasing and purchasing the lights themselves," Rob said, characterizing the request as an onerous barrier. The town is pursuing coordinated action with nearby municipalities to contest the requirement at the Public Service Commission.
Lighting committee leaders Virginia Quezada and Robert Johnson were noted as the committee chairs; the committees work aims to preserve historic streetlight character while reducing long-term costs.
No Pepco representative spoke at the meeting; the town cited ongoing negotiations and expected a proposal to come before the council in the coming year.
