Council considering joining streetlight program
NORTH WALES » Borough council is considering whether to sign on to a new round of a regional program that could upgrade streetlights in town.
“We didn’t jump on round one because it was new, so to speak, but now, round two, I think we should jump on it,” said Borough Manager Christine Hart.
Starting in 2016, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission established a Regional Streetlight Procurement Program that brought together 35 municipalities in a joint purchasing program to upgrade old streetlights to newer, more energy-efficient LED models.
According to DVRPC, roughly 25,000 streetlights were converted, leading to over $15 million in net energy savings over 20 years, 5,500 metric tons of CO2 emissions saved, and 10.6 million kilowatt hours of energy saved each year. Local municipalities that signed on to the first round included Lansdale Borough and Hatfield and Towamencin townships, and delivery and installation of the streetlights began last summer.
“When you look at just, for instance, the monthly PECO bills we paid this evening, you’ll see the $1,932 one we paid for streetlights. That is, by far, our highest electrical cost that we’re paying on a monthly basis,” Hart said.
“Even all of our other buildings: our Public Works building, (borough hall), 125 N. Main St., and our park lighting, are just a hair over what we’re paying in electricity” for streetlights, she said.
So far staff have identified a total of 242 streetlights the borough currently pays to illuminate, and Hart said to replace one when it fails costs roughly $500, while pricing for the streetlights in the first round of the DVRPC program fell between $92.50 and $125 per unit depending on the type.
“If we, as a staff, were to undertake this, it’s almost like a full-time job to see the project through from start to finish,” she said.
An engineering consultant would need to identify and inventory all of the streetlights, determine what type each are, the wattage, the types of poles, and evaluate where the light is cast — all components of the project that DVRPC can handle, according to the manager.
“There’s a lot that goes into streetlights that we really don’t think about, but you need to think about, if you’re replacing from sodium to LED,” she said.
A letter of intent along with a $5,000 payment to cover program costs is due by Aug. 15, and Hart asked council to approve both on Tuesday night. A lengthy discussion followed, with council members asking for further details on the project timeline and when the borough would need to commit. According to DVRPC’s project timeline, after submitting a letter of intent, the regional agency then submits a questionnaire for the local town to fill out, and a kickoff will be held within the first two months, followed by a preliminary feasibility study, then an investment grade audit to put hard numbers on paper and, if the town chooses, to offer financing for the capital costs paid from the reduced electricity bills.
“At the end of this, what will happen is, there’s an interactive website that we would have access to, that would ID all of our streetlights and send a signal if one is in need of repair,” Hart said.
“To me, that’s worth $5,000, to be able to log onto a portal, see every one of my streetlights, and know, if it’s green, it’s working, and if it’s yellow that it’s in need of repair,” she said.
After the investment grade audit is complete, DVRPC will arrange for joint financing that the municipalities can opt into, and construction contracts will be signed in months nine and ten, with construction taking place over the following 12 months — all documented each step of the way.
“This borough should not be writing a blank check for $100,000, with somebody coming back and saying ‘We spent $30,000 on consultants,’” said council member Paula Scott. Hart replied that every step of the process would be public, with regular updates from DVRPC to the borough.
Councilman Eion O’Neill asked if the borough would have any control over the hardware used to replace the current streetlights, and Hart said the program would be used to retrofit existing poles, including the 49 decorative light fixtures currently located in downtown.
“If we change the streetscape in the next five to ten years, which is mentioned in our comprehensive plan, would this even still be worth it?” Hart said.
“I think the savings alone, over five to ten years, and the fact that half of our decoratives don’t even work right now, I think it would be a positive thing,” she said.
Resident John Davis asked if PECO rebates would be included in the total purchase price offered by DVRPC, and Hart said they would. Resident Andrew Berenson asked about the possibility of an additional program fee above and beyond the $5,000 entry fee, and Hart said she has estimated the second fee could go as high as $6,000 and would largely be used for design costs.
“That $6,000 is not going to come until we actually are committed,” she said.
Over the past two years, Hart told council, borough staff have replaced a total of 14 streetlights at a cost of roughly $7,000 total, largely relying on reports from residents and police of which ones are out.
“We could do this, with a little over $100,000, and potentially have it done completely, borough-wide, in two years, and save an enormous amount on our electrical cost, and provide better lighting,” Hart said.
“You won’t be calling me and saying ‘On the 300 block of Shearer Street, it’s completely dark’” when a streetlight fails, Hart said — “it’s a win-win.”
Council then voted unanimously to authorize the letter of intent and the $5,000 entry fee. Borough council next meets at 7 p.m. on Aug. 14 at the borough municipal building, 300 School St.; for more information visit www.NorthWalesBorough.org.