Streetlight Removal Request, Spear Street (Voice Vote)

City Council Agenda Item Report

FROM:

Scott Herbert – Public Works Superintendent

MEETING DATE:

May 12, 2025

SUBJECT:

Streetlight Removal Request – Spear Street

DESCRIPTION: Background: Residents at the east end of upper Spear Street have submitted a formal request to the City to disable a recently reactivated streetlight located near the dead-end. The light had been non-operational for many years and was recently replaced in late 2024 with a 40W LED Cobrahead fixture—Consumers Energy’s lowest wattage—after a request from a residential property in the area. Multiple residents have expressed opposition to the light since it has been reactivated and have provided justification for removal citing disruptions to sleep, light penetration into homes, and negative environmental/wildlife impacts. Previous Actions and Communication: • • • •

A request for directional shielding via a cul-de-sac style shroud was approved by the DPW Superintendent and submitted to Consumers Energy. Consumers marked the shielding work order as completed, but no shield has been installed to date. Consumers has confirmed that no lower-wattage fixture is available. Consumers has provided a cost estimate of $492.00 to remove the light entirely.

Traffic and Safety Considerations: Public Works and the City Engineer have reviewed the potential implications of removing the light: • • •

Dead-end streets are common locations for streetlights to assist with vehicle turnaround and warn of road termination. Service vehicles (e.g., snowplows, delivery trucks) frequently use the dead-end for navigation. A pedestrian easement connecting Spear Street to Elizabeth Street exists nearby which may warrant pedestrian warning signs.

In the absence of the streetlight, mitigations could include updating the nearby “No Outlet” sign to meet current reflectivity standards, a “Dead End” warning sign near the intersection of Spear and Grand, and possibly pedestrian warning signs near the walking path easement.

Recommendation: Staff recommends that City Council consider all perspectives—including resident concerns, safety needs, and fiscal implications—before making a determination on how to proceed. If Council opts to remove or deactivate the streetlight, staff suggests pursuing recommended signage upgrades to maintain vehicular and pedestrian safety in the area. It is also advised to consider potential future requests citing this as an example.

BUDGET ACTION REQUIRED: N/A COMMITTEE/COMMISSION REVIEW: N/A LEGAL REVIEW: N/A SAMPLE MOTION: Motion to have Consumer’s Energy deactivate or remove the streetlight located near 555 Spear Street Streetlight ID#188348.

Lighting the Way A guide to streetlights in your community

Streetlights not only help keep your community safe, they also are an important part of the visual landscape. When traditional streetlights fail or malfunction, we are replacing them with LED models that use less energy while providing stronger, more reliable light. A variety of pole, light styles and features also are available to fit each municipality’s needs. Local businesses, emergency services, foot traffic, budget and other factors should inform your decision.

When you’re ready to make a change, give us a call at 800-805-0490 and a project coordinator will help you understand your options.

Free Adjustments: If your streetlight fails and needs to be replaced, we will replace it. We can install shields to better direct lighting where it’s needed, too.

Additional services with fees: If your current streetlights are not in an ideal location, need different wattage or if you prefer changing to a different style, we can provide a customized quote to upgrade. Temporary service disconnect is available at a discounted monthly rate. (minimum 6 months required)

Upgrading Your Streetlights

What lighting style are you interested in? Choose Post Top, Cobrahead or Mongoose.

Post Top Lighting

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Based on your request and pole location, we’ll choose the appropriate light for you.

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Streetlight Out? Reporting an Issue Is as Easy as 1, 2, 3 A well-lit community is a safer community. Our streetlight outage reporting tool makes reporting streetlight outages from your phone or computer easier than ever.

How to Report Streetlight Outages Step 1:

Visit streetlights.consumersenergy.com

Then enable your location, enter the address, or pan and zoom the map to find the light in need of repair.

Step 2:

Select the Streetlight to Report

After selecting, click on “Report Outage.” If you don't find the light on the map, you may add a streetlight at that location by clicking on the streetlight icon with a plus sign. We will look into whether that light is maintained by us. Uploading a photo of the light can help our team pinpoint the issue.

Step 3:

Add Details about the Streetlight Issue

Answer a few questions, provide your contact information and then click on “Submit Outage Report.” Check the map anytime for status updates and to see other streetlight outages in your area.

For quick access to the tool, scan the QR code

We recommend using Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Safari browser.

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