Item No.
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
BY: MATTHEW BAUMGARDNER, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS/CITY
ENGINEER
D ATE: APRIL 8, 2025
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON RESIDENTIAL STREETLIGHT PROGRAM
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City Council will receive and file an update on the residential streetlight pilot program that was established with $50,000 through the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 budget. Over the last year, staff has solicited interest from 33 street blocks that would like to see streetlights added to their block. Staff has analyzed the costs, construction time, impacts on street trees, and wire theft issues and is recommending a shift to the use of solar streetlights in residential neighborhoods as the City moves forward with the completion of the first cycle of the residential pilot program. An additional advantage to shifting to an off-grid power source is that the City may explore alternative sources of funding to complete streetlight projects at a more affordable cost.
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council:
1)Receive and file an informational update on the City’s residential streetlight pilot program;
2) Approve the use of solar streetlights on residential streets; and 3)Authorize staff to move forward with the completion of the first cycle of the pilot program and begin the application process to add streetlights through a formal petition process.
BACKGROUND
In 1978, the City Council adopted Lighting and Landscaping Assessment District (LLAD) 121.
The funds collected through this district are assessed annually on property tax bills to cover the costs related to operations of street lighting, traffic signals, and street landscaping. The previous process for adding streetlights on residential street blocks involved homeowners petitioning the City and collecting signatures to demonstrate a two-thirds majority to incur the initial capital costs of $5,000 per homeowner for construction, as well as the ongoing annual costs of $21.41 for operation of the streetlights. If approved by two-thirds of homeowners on
APPROVED BY
CITY MANAGER
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a block, both the capital costs (over a five-year period) and the operational costs (each year, in perpetuity) would be added to LLAD 121. While the City receives requests to add street lighting on residential streets, the initial costs for installing lights of up to $5,000 per property have been a barrier to achieving the necessary level of support to annex the street block into the LLAD.
Given this cost barrier to adding streetlights, the City adopted a $50,000 pilot program to cover the capital costs related to purchasing and installing residential streetlights. Property owners on street blocks would still need to demonstrate a two-thirds majority through a petition process to add the annual costs related to streetlight operation to their property tax bills. It would also demonstrate to the City that there was a majority level of consensus among the neighborhood for adding streetlights, as not all property owners want lights due to privacy. In May 2024, staff began advertising and soliciting interest from residents throughout Downey to gauge overall support for adding street lighting and to better ascertain the costs related to adding streetlights in each scenario. A list of 33 street blocks has been developed through this solicitation process.
In addition to the process for petitioning to be annexed into the LLAD, street lights can be added to existing Edison utility poles. If a utility pole exists on the residential street, a service request can be submitted through the Public Works engineering division. Staff will then reach out to SCE and request that a light be added to the utility pole. SCE does not charge the City for adding the lights to their existing poles. There is also no cost for the electricity to power these lights, as they are unmetered. Staff identified 193 utility poles located where lights can be added. In the last year, residents have requested lights to be added to 37 of these poles, SCE has added 6 lights to poles and is in the process of reviewing applications to add another 31 lights. Before any lights are added to the utility poles, staff will ensure there is two-thirds approval among the property owners. The process to add lights through SCE varies between 6 and 12 months depending on their availability. SCE also needs to evaluate each location in order to determine that the addition of the light will not be in conflict with other overhead utility wires on the poles.
ANALYSIS
Previous estimates to add new residential streetlights, including pulling all of the required electrical infrastructure from existing circuits and installing the poles and lights, were approximately $10,000 to $15,000 per location. In studying the updated costs for engineering and installing streetlights in current dollars, staff has found this cost to be closer to $20,000 per location. Other challenges that exist go beyond the cost, as the timeline for coordinating and permitting this work with SCE would take several months for each street block. The engineering for many of the 33 street block locations also found many conflicts with street trees that could impact their roots and overall health, as the conduit and electrical wiring would need to be pulled through City parkways.
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Given the cost, permitting, and engineering challenges, staff began to research and investigate the ability to use solar streetlights. Many advantages were quickly discovered including significant cost savings, quick installation, no coordination required with SCE, and far less impact to existing trees in City parkways. The average cost to install solar lights is approximately $7,000 per location. Solar streetlights do not require any electrical conduit to be pulled and trenched to each location. For this reason, staff does not need to coordinate with SCE as the lights operate using panels and batters on each pole. Because trenching is not needed to bring the wiring to the poles, tree roots are not compromised. Staff can place poles in locations that can be away from roots and to also optimize sun exposure to solar panels. One additional advantage that staff considered is downtime and costs related to wire theft from poles. It is estimated that maintenance staff has incurred over $100,000 in wire theft from various light poles around the City over the last three years. This wire can be accessible through the base of the poles, as well as meter boxes and equipment in the right- of-way. Cabling and wires that transmit and convert solar energy collected at the panels to the lights are all at the top of a solar streetlight pole.
The following table shows a comparison to complete one block of seven (7) street lights:
Traditional Method (electrical) Solar Street Lights
Cost $140,000 $49,000
Utility Coordination 6 to 12 months No coordination needed Tree Impacts Difficulty avoiding roots No impact to roots, trimming Wire Theft Access to wire at base/right-of-way No access to wire
Other jurisdictions in the region have shifted toward the use of solar power for streetlights.
Over the last few years, the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Streetlighting has purchased over 1,000 solar-powered fixtures and has deployed them at over 350 locations. The County of Los Angeles and the City of San Bernardino also have projects underway to install solar street lights. It should be noted that the City installed a solar streetlight seven years ago at Woodruff Avenue and Bigby Street. The light has yet to malfunction and operational costs have been minimal over this period.
Shifting over to off-grid power sources opens the City up to more potential funding sources for the residential streetlight program. Staff will be exploring upcoming funding opportunities with the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the Clean Power Alliance. Other agencies that may open up funding in the future include the California Energy Commission, the Department of Energy, and the California Air Resources Board. These agencies often fund projects that shift from a reliance on electrical power and that can help reduce Greenhouse gas emissions.
Next Steps
Considering the costs, construction time, impacts on trees, issues related to wire theft, and expanding the potential to receive more sources of funding, staff is recommending the following:
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• Shift from traditional methods for installing street lights to the installation of solar street lights
• Move forward with the installation of 7 street lights as part of the residential streetlight pilot program. These 7 locations were the first to submit interest in the program and are able to be completed within the pilot program budget of $50,000. They will be completing the petition process to demonstrate majority approval for adding lights and having annual maintenance costs added to the property tax rolls.
o Costs are within the established budget of $50,000
o Timeline to complete, Summer 2025
• Begin the formal application process and follow up with the 33 interested submissions, to accept applications from property owners, including completed petitions with required signatures demonstrating majority support and readiness to add operational costs to their property bills. Outreach to the entire community on the formal application process will be conducted through social media and flyers on the program will be available at City Hall and other City facilities.
There are $50,000 in available funds in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 adopted budget. Staff will proceed with the installation of 7 street lights as part of the initial pilot program. Staff will collect the applications on a first-come, first-served basis, and streetlights will be added as funds become available for future projects.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Quality of Life, Safety & Infrastructure
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the recommended actions will result in an expenditure of $50,000 of budgeted Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Capital Improvement Program (CIP), from the LLAD Street Light Improvement funds to cover the total estimated project costs (breakdown listed in table below).
Description Amount
Construction Contract (Estimated) $15,000
Contingencies $ 5,000
Solar Power Street Lights (with pole/panel/battery) $30,000 Total Estimated Project Cost: $50,000
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There is sufficient fund balance for the recommended actions. The budgeted CIP funds for this project are designated as provided in the table below.
Account No. Funding Source Amount
23-1-6886 Citywide Streetlight Program $50,000
Total Project Funding: $50,000
ATTACHMENTS
None.