The MD of Bonnyville won’t be left in the dark thanks to a new streetlight policy.
The installation and energizing of streetlights policy, which council approved during their Sept. 4 meeting, includes steps residents can take when requesting streetlights be installed in existing areas, and when the municipality is required to energize new ones during development.
Council was first enlightened on the topic during a March 6 meeting, when they decided to contact the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) regarding ATCO charging idling fees for streetlights not in use.
“Now what has happened is ATCO has instituted an idling fee, which equates pretty much to the same cost as if it were lit,” explained Caroline Palmer, director of planning and development.
The MD already required any new multi-lot subdivisions to include streetlights in the building phase.
“It was a council consideration quite a few years back to include the (lights) in the infrastructure built at the time. It was easier to install that before versus after the fact,” Palmer said.
She continued, “The problem with putting the infrastructure in after the development has taken place is then you’ve got landscaping that is taking place. That was the reason why we put it in at the construction phase.”
During construction, the MD takes over the cost for energizing streetlights once infrastructure is complete. The lights are switched on once the project reaches 50 per cent development.
The MD received a request from a contractor on the east side of Cold Lake. He wanted the streetlights turned on to prevent damage to his equipment. Some members of council didn’t believe the area should be energized, because the project isn’t near completion and there isn’t any residents currently living in the subdivision.
“He feels his land and landscaping are being trashed, and part of it happens (at night),” detailed Palmer.
Coun. Marc Jubinville didn’t agree with this request.
“My feeling is if there’s no occupancy at all, then lights aren’t needed. It’s still a waste of energy and the perception that goes along with it… It’s an unnecessary response as far as I’m concerned.”
During the discussion, Reeve Greg Sawchuk wondered if certain subdivisions could be shut-off while others in the same area are energized. Palmer didn’t believe it was a possibility, but said she could verify that.
Another aspect of the policy is outling the procedures for requests to have streetlights put into existing subdivisions.
“What’s happened in the past is there’s a request put in through public works and it was dealt with through there. They would go out, do the inspections, find out where the best locations of the poles would be, and we would have them installed,” Palmer noted.
Now, they will be submitted to Abid Malik, general manager of infrastructure services for the MD.
Locations that will be considered under the new policy includes hamlets, MD facilities, industrial parks, and areas identified as requiring lighting for safety reasons.
Now that procedures are in place, CAO Luc Mercier said he could see the policy evolving as situations arise.
“This is more of a higher-level approach as opposed to these specific (policies) and procedures. I think that you’re going to see, as requests come forward, that we have different issues that we will try to accommodate and I feel council would want to review this policy two to three times over the next few years.”
