ROYAL PALM TO SPEND FOR LIGHTS ON OKEECHOBEE

ROYAL PALM BEACH — A two-mile stretch of Okeechobee Boulevard is getting new lighting after the village council approved a nearly $1 million project Thursday night.

Pedestrian and roadway lighting will be installed along the the stretch of road between Folsom Road and State Road 7. Approximately 86 light poles will be added as part of the project, according to Village Engineer Chris Marsh.

Sidewalks also will be constructed along Partridge Lane from Okeechobee Boulevard to Sparrow Drive.

Rohl Networks LP, a Jupiter-based infrastructure construction firm, will perform the work. Rohl won the contract from the village with a bid of $985,620.51. Horsepower Electric Inc. of Hialeah was the other bidder with a proposal of $1,077,893.00.

The work will be a joint effort between the village’s contractor and Florida Power & Light, Marsh said.

FPL will add lights to its existing poles, while the village will add new poles and lights.

Work is expected to begin in September, Marsh said, and should be complete in about five months.

Also Thursday, the council approved keeping the tax rate unchanged.

Royal Palm Beach officials plan to hold the property tax rate at $1.92 per $1,000 of taxable value for another year. The preliminary rate was approved as part of the council’s consent agenda.

Two public hearings on the rate are set for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 6 and 6:30 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Village Meeting Hall, 1050 Royal Palm Beach Blvd.