TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: Jonathan R. Lewis, ICMA-CM, City Manager
TITLE: Repeal of the Streetlight Moratorium
Recommended Action
Direct the City Manager to reinstate the installation of streetlights by request of residents as of today in accordance with 31.29(A)(1)(a) of the Public Works Policy PW-31 dated April 10, 2014 and proceed with any steps necessary for budget funding availability.
Background Information
The City has had, for a long time, a policy for procedures in approving installation of streetlights by request of residents (see the attached materials from the 3/22/10 R & D District meeting).
However, at the 9/24/12 Road & Drainage District Meeting a motion was passed by Commission to “approve a Moratorium on street lighting until after a Workshop has been held to decide how street lighting will be handled in the future and to make the Workshop a priority.”
The moratorium was prompted by conversations at a budget workshop regarding increasing costs for street lighting. According to the 9/24/12 staff item summary sheet (attached) at that time the average annual budget for new street lights was $7,500, the overall budget for residential street lights already installed was $308,400 including those on arterial and collector roads, and that the District funds the street light program from its non-ad valorem assessment.
Street lighting was an item of discussion at a workshop held on 10/26/12. According to the staff item summary (attached) at that time there were 1,350 street lights on local roads and 497 on arterial and collector roads (excluding Toledo Blade and Sumter Blvd) and for Fiscal Year 2012 the District’s actual cost for streetlights was $321,866. No direction was given at that workshop to repeal the moratorium however additional information was requested by the Commission which was to be provided at another workshop.
On 3/29/13 the Residential Streetlight Program was again discussed. Much of the conversation revolved around research on options for funding street lights other than from Road & Drainage District non-ad valorem assessments. According to the staff item summary (attached) based on the City attorney’s memorandum (also attached) the District would not be able to charge a special assessment or create a special district for street lights because the district already receives a non-ad valorem assessment for streetlights. Once again no direction was given to repeal the moratorium however the Commission asked that research continue for looking into funding options.
On several occasions since December 2016 when I mentioned to Commission that I would be placing this item on a January 2017 meeting agenda for consideration of repealing the moratorium on streetlight installation, I had asked the City Manager for any updated information he could provide, such as the number of street lights and budget costs, however at this time I still have not received that information to include herein.
While the updated number of lights and costs associated is important information, this agenda item is for requesting that the Commission repeal the moratorium considering factors of public safety, quality of life in our neighborhoods, crime prevention attributes and fairness to all residential property owners.
Residents who currently have streetlights in their neighborhoods installed through the City have received that benefit through the District funds yet for over four (4) years other residents who also meet the criteria for installation of streetlights have been denied due to the moratorium even though they pay the same rates as residential property owners with streetlights installed within their neighborhood.
The requested action is to direct the City Manager to reinstate the installation of streetlights effective today in accordance with 31.29(A)(1)(a) of the Public Works Policy PW-31 dated April 10, 2014 and proceed with any steps necessary for budget funding availability.
Strategic Plan
N/A
Financial Impact
N/A
Procurement
N/A
Attachments:
1) Public Works Policy PW-31 dated April 10, 2014.
2) March 22, 2010 R & D District Meeting Residential Streetlights staff item summary with attachments and approved meeting minutes. (Please add the signed approved minutes to this attachment since they are not accessible online)
3) September 24, 2012 R & D District Meeting Residential Streetlights staff item summary with Exhibit A and Power Point and Pages 7 & 8 of approved meeting minutes. (Please add to this attachment the exhibit A and power point that were provided as backup but are not accessible online as well as pages 7 & 8 of the minutes since they cannot be downloaded nor printed from the website).
4) October 26, 2012 Workshop Residential Streetlights staff item summary, power point presentation and approved meeting minutes. (Please include and combine these items for this attachment since these are not available online).
5) March 29, 2013 Workshop Residential Streetlights staff item summary and approved meeting minutes. (Please add to this attachment the signed approved minutes since they are not available online).
6) North Port City Code Chapter 66 - Road & Drainage District Enabling Legislation
7) City Attorney memorandum dated March 16, 2011.
Prepared by: Patsy Adkins for Mayor Yates
Department Director: Patsy Adkins