City Opts to Keep the Lights On

Street lights should not be removed to save money, the city council decided when it voted against a staff recommendation Tuesday night.

The recommendation called for the removal of 541 street lights throughout the city to save about $85,000 annually.  

Most of the lights are over 10 years old and the council  opted to wait for Southern California Edison to replace them with lower-wattage street lights, an update that is expected to get underway in a couple of years.

The four council members who voted against turning the lights out agreed that such a cost-saving step should not be taken without public input and a trial run. Councilman Steve Aspel, who cast the sole dissenting vote, said that city streets are mostly well lit. He said he was disappointed in the council's decision when shutting off the lights in question could save money and help the environment. 

"It's greener," Aspel said. "I don't think there's a safety issue. There are so many lights down there."

The council discussed turning the lights off for six months and turning them back on, but that approach would cost more than $50,000 and save less than $11,500.

The city could also cut costs by installing timers and replacing existing light bulbs with lower-wattage ones, according to Steve Huang,  city engineer and chief building official.