11-28-07 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES CITY COUNCIL NOVEMBER 28, 2007 McGraw stated that he liked the idea of a street light fund. He suggested that the staff prioritize the street lighting needs in the City. He supported the addition of more street lighting from a quality of life point of view. McGraw noted that street lighting makes it easier for people to get out in the evening and walk in their neighborhoods. McGraw stated that he did not support the street light utility charge similar to Shoreview's. The City Administrator pointed out that year's ago the City would request that Xcel Energy install a street light and it was put in. Now there is a charge for everything, and street light charges are becoming very significant. Blesener again suggested a nominal fee added to utility bills. Montour questioned what a street light is worth, suggesting that if a fee is added to utility bills it not be an arbitrary number. Blesener also suggested that staff look at Xcel's two options to determine which were more beneficial to the City. McGraw indicated that he did a rough estimate of the difference in cost of street light operation if the City pays or does not pay the upfront costs of installation. He estimated that the City's paying the upfront costs resulted in a savings of $5,500 over 50 years. McGraw stated that he would rather get street lights installed and pay the $15 per month operation fee, than not get street lights installed because the up front cost to the City is too high. McGraw also stated that his preference is to have street light services underground, and asked if that was not the requirement of the City that all utilities had to be underground. The City Administrator indicated that utilities in all new subdivisions must be underground or installed on existing poles. Vance Johnson indicated that he lives at the end of Morrison Avenue, and it is very dark at the end of that street. Johnson stated that it was a safety concern for him, and noted that he has experienced vandalism on his property. The Public Works Superintendent reported that he has contacted Xcel Energy about a light at the end of Morrison Avenue, and he was waiting to hear back from them. The Superintendent assured Johnson that a street light would be installed. The City Administrator reported that he and the Superintendent would put together a report prioritizing street light requests, needs, and costs, and will bring the information and a recommendation back to the Council for action. 24