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 To date, the city has been able to implement new streetscape
plans on the south side of Pulaski Street on the downtown courthouse
square. The lighting purchase would include fixtures for that one
block, plus fixtures that would be needed to complete future
projects.
When the downtown revitalization steering committee proposed the
renovation of the one block of Pulaski, they were instructed to keep
their budget within the confines of the remaining dollars of the
revitalization grant received from the Illinois Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity. In order to do this, the
committee had to cut out the decorative lighting they wanted for the
project.
At the first workshop meeting of the City Council on November 12,
city administrator Clay Johnson and Mayor Keith Snyder discussed
with aldermen a means by which the city could pay for the lighting.
Snyder advised the aldermen that the agreement with the state to
permanently close the Pekin Street railroad crossing at the depot
will generate dollars for the city. In addition, Johnson said the
city’s General Obligation Bond funds, which can only be used for
capital projects could also be used to pay for the lighting.
 The purchase, if made, would include lighting for all four sides of
the square, plus for the block along the soon to be constructed
Lincoln Grand 8 Theater. In addition, Snyder said the city was
hoping to work with the county to add a fourth sidewalk at Scully
Park, change some of the parking there to angle parking. The city
would also then place the matching, decorative parking at Scully.
The original proposal was made for Metal halide lighting with a
total cost of just over $63,000.
Questions were raised about why the city was looking at metal halide
over LED. The immediate answer was budget constraints. While the LED
may be the light of the future, the cost on that lighting would run
about $20,000 more than the Metal Halide.
After some discussion, Johnson said he would put together some more
comprehensive research on the two types of lighting and bring a
report back to the council.
On November 25th, Johnson presented the comparisons to the council.
The cost of the metal halide lighting would amount to just over
$63,000, and the cost of the LED would come to approximately
$80,000. The life of a metal halide light is estimated at 15,000
hours or approximately three and one-half years. The life of the LED
light is estimated at 50,000 hours or approximately 11.5 years.
Johnson said in comparing the energy savings of LED over metal
halide, the city would earn back the difference in the cost of the
two types of lighting in about eight years. The energy savings for
the remaining life of the bulbs could then be considered money in
the bank.
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As the topic was discussed, Tom O’Donohue wondered what the
future of metal halide lighting would be. He said that he was
concerned about eventually ending up in the same situation the
city found itself in with the downtown traffic control lights,
in that modern technology would make the metal halide obsolete.
Johnson concluded that indeed LED was the way of the future for
street lighting. Johnson also commented on the
project-on-the-whole saying the city was creating a model for
the future. He suggested they would want that model to be the
best it could be.
O’Donohue also commented on getting it done right the first time
so there would not be a need later to upgrade what is purchased
now. He said he wanted to see the city invest in something that
would work for the long term and not something that they knew
would have to be fixed or upgraded.
Melody Anderson commented on the lighting from a financial
viewpoint. She said that she felt the city should be looking at
long term savings. While the LED is more expensive now, in the
long run, this type of lighting would pay for itself in a
relatively short period and then would save the city money in
the future.
This week before voting on the lighting, Johnson said he had
spoken with the vendor the city had chosen to purchase the
lights from. Johnson had asked if the vendor thought this was
the best price the city could get on the LED. As a result of
that conversation, the vendor came down $1,200, bringing the
exact cost of all the lighting the city will require down to
$78,928.
In the end, the motion to purchase the LED lighting was made by
O’Donohue with the second coming from Anderson. The motion was
amended by Marty Neitzel to make a purchase foregoing the
bidding process. The motion passed unanimously with seven
members of the council present; Anderson, Michelle Bauer, Scott
Cooper, Kathy Horn, Neitzel, O’Donohue, and Jonie Tibbs.
Alderman Jeff Hoinacki was absent for the evening.
[Nila Smith]
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