Ald. Linda McNeely, D-13, has some serious concerns about the city’s streetlight reduction program. She wants to put the program on hold and have it reevaluated, but she’s got to wait until next week.
McNeely wanted her resolution calling for the immediate suspension of light removal heard by the City Council Code and Regulation Committee Monday night, but the committee referred the resolution to the Finance and Personnel Committee, which should take up McNeely’s request at its meeting Monday before City Council.
The city approved the removal of some streetlights last fall as a means to save money.
The city has 14,000 streetlights. In the spring, it started work on a plan to reduce lighting by 15 percent, or 2,300 lights, across the city for an estimated savings of $500,000 a year.
McNeely said she didn’t vote for the light reduction because she didn’t vote for the budget. She said her constituents do not feel safe without the lights and worry about higher crime rates.
Ald. Frank Beach, R-10, urged McNeely to meet with Public Works and come up with a plan for lighting reduction in her ward. Beach said he’s sat down with city staff and worked out the concerns that his residents raised and believes the staff would do the same for her.
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