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Council discusses street‑maintenance fee and higher rates for ornamental lights
Summary
Councilors asked staff to research a local street‑maintenance or service fee to cover sweeping, ditch work and lighting maintenance; conversation included that some ornamental lights carry a higher rate and that staff will request cost estimates from the utility.
Council members opened a preliminary discussion of a possible local street‑maintenance fee to pay for services such as street sweeping, ditch cleaning and lighting maintenance rather than raising general taxes. Chair (S1) explained that the city currently receives gasoline tax revenue for roads but could evaluate a fee or assessment targeted to properties that benefit from specific services.
During the announcements, a council member (S3) said Central Lincoln and city attorneys continue to review a contract and flagged about ten fixtures billed at ornamental rates; S3 noted one parking lot light charged roughly an extra $10 per month for an ornamental fixture and asked staff to get cost estimates to convert such fixtures to standard lights. One speaker in the meeting also stated, apparently in error or as a rough estimate, that such changes “might be about $15,000,000 a year”; the council did not adopt any fee level or fiscal estimate and asked staff to return with concrete cost information and model ordinances.
