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Council Minutes of 10/17/2000
<br />After President Saringer's report a very lengthy discussion ensued regarding street
<br />lighting:
<br />• Mr. Limpert added to the report by saying that street lighting was removed from areas
<br />that had been promised this year. The administration's plan was to try to come up
<br />with middle ground to accommodate those in the spring, but felt that other areas that
<br />had been promised lighting many years ago should get lighting.
<br />• Mrs. Kasler said that the most recent street lighting proposal which was presented
<br />was for approximately $475,000 to $485,000. Some members of Council understood
<br />that the agreed figure had been approximately $300,000. Mrs. Kasler noted that some
<br />of the additional monies that were being proposed to be added to street lighting came
<br />from projects that had been completed where money had been saved. There were two
<br />projects, Clague/Lorain intersection and Sharon Drive, where the money was
<br />designated but not yet used. Some Council members objected to using that money
<br />this year and re-borrowing it next year in order to do those projects simply because
<br />the projects could not be completed this year. Those two amounts were subtracted,
<br />and the total amount to be spent this year came to approximately $338,000, which the
<br />majority of Council agreed to.
<br />• Mr. O'Grady commented that he felt that the this would have been an opportunity to
<br />do something good for the residents. The Mayor and his administration had brought
<br />forward a plan that would take people who are slated for street lighting next year and
<br />move them up to this year. In effect, more people would be done this year and less
<br />next year, but we would be spending the same amount over two years. The Finance
<br />Director said this could be done without any adverse impact upon the city's spending.
<br />He looks at this from both a financial standpoint and a safety standpoint that the total
<br />amount spent will be the same and more people could receive lighting this year
<br />making the streets safer for residents.
<br />• Mrs. Kasler said there was another issue that needed to be discussed and that was
<br />some Councilpersons thought that the original figure to be spent over two years was
<br />$400,000. What is being proposed totals approximately $720,000. That is certainly
<br />an issue meant for committee and discussion. Everyone agrees that street lighting
<br />should be taken care of and addressed and everyone is looking forward to doing that
<br />in the near future.
<br />• Mr. Miller said in the final analysis there was a vote taken to approve funds in the
<br />amount of $299,000--$241,000 as appropriated this year; $31,500 left over from the
<br />Barton/Chestnut project; $1,841 left over from the 1998 street lighting program;
<br />$6,000 from street signs. The vote was to apply the total of those funds to the base
<br />bid which included Carriage Lane, Cedarwood, Ashton, Linden, Amesbury,
<br />Beaumont, Delmere, Bentley, Curtis, Danberry, Oak Lane, Oak Circle, Plumwood,
<br />plus Alternate A including Blossom, Edgepark, Woodpark, Sanders, Pine Circle,
<br />Alternate B including Marquette, Lisa, Mary Kay, Laura, Marcy, Lusandra, and Pine
<br />Circle. If there were available funds, go on to Alternate D of Forestwood,
<br />Cottonwood, Dogwood, and Lynwood. Four Council members voted for this
<br />proposal.
<br />• Mr. Gareau said there was a program in place at the beginning of this year. Every
<br />fact that was present when the appropriation for this year was done was present at the
<br />end of the year. However, there was a suggestion to perhaps use some funds that
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