11 city buildings will get energy-efficient lights

The city will spend up to $130,000 to outfit 11 of its buildings with LED lighting indoors, a move expected to save money over time.

At a meeting Tuesday, the Common Council unanimously adopted a resolution to transfer $130,000 from the city’s fund balance to pay for the energy-efficiency project. The project with Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. would replace indoor lighting with new, energy-efficient LED bulbs.

There was no public discussion among aldermen before the vote.

Mayor Steve Noble said in a memo to aldermen that the annual savings at today’s electric rates would be $50,551.44 per year.

Julie Noble, the city’s environmental education and sustainability coordinator, who is also the mayor’s wife, told aldermen at a previous meeting that the payback on the project would be 2 ½ years. She said the retrofits would be done in a twoto three-month period after the funding for the project is approved. Julie Noble also said this project would be a one-for-one, in-kind replacement of the existing bulbs with LEDs.

The buildings that will be retrofitted through the project include the Everette Hodge Community Center, the Kingston Visitor Center, the transfer station, city court, the city police department, the wastewater treatment plant and the Department of Public Works buildings, as well as some fire station buildings.

The lights at City Hall are being retrofitted as part of a separate energy-efficiency project, Julie Noble said.