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Streetlight update: staff reports 177 of 210 repair reports closed; council debates alley-lighting policy
Summary
Assistant director Jeremy Hagerman told the council that 177 of 210 SeeClickFix streetlight issues were resolved in the past six months; council pressed staff on subdivision responsibilities, a pilot solar light and whether public safety tax-funded lights should target high-crime areas.
Jeremy Hagerman, assistant director of public works engineering, gave the semiannual streetlight program update to the Joplin City Council and outlined recent installations, repair work and policy questions about expansion.
Hagerman said recent completions include work on 15th Street, Prigmore Road by the fire station, Duquesne Road segments and the Zora Duquesne roundabout, and he said staff are nearing completion of the original voter-approved installation list with remaining gaps in Hidden Hills and Silver Creek. He told council the Zora phase 2 widening (east to 249) and a 20th Street widening are planned and that the city hopes to advertise the Zora phase 2 for bids by the end of the month.
On operations, Hagerman said the city and Liberty coordinate monthly and that two signal technicians respond to SeeClickFix reports; when field repair isn’t feasible, staff replace fixtures with LEDs. He said the city is piloting one possible solar light installation while agreement details are worked out.
"As of the end of March...we've had 210 reported streetlight issues, a 177 have been resolved and closed," Hagerman said, adding that five new install requests came in through SeeClickFix and one of those has already been closed.
Council used the update to press staff on policy and prioritization. Mr. Coppell asked how the city is treating subdivision installs and whether developments already in the queue — specifically Eagle's Edge — would be required to meet the new ordinance. City staff said the new ordinance applies to future developments and noted Eagle's Edge is phased; Tony Robine clarified that phases not yet permitted will fall under the new ordinance when they apply for permits.
Coppell also urged using public-safety-sales-tax-funded lights to prioritize crime prevention, asking whether the city could set a threshold for alley lighting where poles already exist. Staff acknowledged previous work estimating alley-lighting costs and effectiveness and committed to revisit that material and bring the alley-lighting item back to the council for consideration.
Dr. Farnham raised a separate maintenance issue: shorter poles in some neighborhoods can be shaded by private trees, reducing effectiveness. Staff said the city generally has easement access for improvements but that routine maintenance of easement vegetation typically rests with property owners; they suggested code enforcement or SeeClickFix as mechanisms to identify problem locations and said staff will take emailed lists to Liberty for follow-up.
Council did not adopt a new policy at the meeting; staff will return with additional analysis on alley lighting and maintain monthly coordination with Liberty. Hagerman said the next full annual report for the streetlight program is scheduled for this fall.
