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Expansion of Washington Neighborhood Yard Lighting Initiative ProgramMasterpiece on the Mississippi TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: Expansion of Washington Neighborhood Yard Lighting Initiative Safe Community Task Force Recommendation DATE: November 8, 2010 2 Mi ael C. Van Milligen MCVM:jh Attachment cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager Jerelyn O'Connor, Neighborhood Development Specialist Rich Russell, Building Service Manager Dubuque hittd All- Ameica 1 2007 Neighborhood Development Specialist Jerelyn O'Connor and Building Services Manager Rich Russell recommend City Council approval of the expansion of the Washington Neighborhood Yard Lighting Initiative to include neighborhoods east of the Bluff, as well as the low- moderate income (target areas) of the City. One of the recommendations of the Safe Community Task Force is to "Create ways to encourage people to light up their own property and surrounding public property." Expanding this existing program to other neighborhoods would provide an encouragement for homeowners to install additional lighting. This program provides a rebate to the property owner for up to half of the cost of purchase and installation of energy efficient electric or gas lighting fixtures installed in their front yard or rear yard. The City will rebate up to 50% ($250 maximum rebate) of the cost for a front yard light and 50% ($100 maximum rebate) of the cost of a back yard light. It is also recommended that permanently installed solar powered lights also be permitted and encouraged as a sustainability initiative. I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council approval. Masterpiece on the Mississippi TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager FROM: Jerelyn O'Connor, Neighborhood Development ` '.list Rich Russell, Building Services Manager - RE: MEMORANDUM November 4, 2010 Expansion of Washington Neighborhood Yard Lighting Initiative Safe Community Task Force Recommendation Introduction The purpose of this memo is to request approval to expand the Washington Neighborhood Yard Lighting Initiative to older neighborhoods in the city as well as to the low /moderate income (target areas) of the city. Background In 2009, the City Council approved a yard lighting initiative in the Washington Neighborhood to enhance public safety by encouraging neighborhood property owners to have yard lights installed on their properties which will provide lighting to the public sidewalk or alley. The program provides a rebate to the property owner for up to half of the cost of purchase and installation of energy efficient electric or gas lighting fixtures installed in their front yard or rear yard. The City will rebate up to 50% ($250 maximum rebate) of the cost for a front yard light and 50% ($100 maximum rebate) of the cost of a back yard light. There was $35,000 budgeted for this program. City permits and inspections are required. To date, only two homeowners in the Washington neighborhood have taken advantage of this program and the program has a balance of $34,700. Discussion One of the recommendations of the Safe Community Task Force is to "Create ways to encourage people to light up their own property and surrounding public property." Expanding this existing program to other neighborhoods would provide an encouragement for homeowners to install additional lighting. There have been concerns raised in the North End Neighborhood, Valley View, Point, and Historic Bluffs neighborhood about the desire for additional lighting. For example, earlier this year the Engineering Department received a petition from residents in the 2500 block of Jackson Street requesting an additional street light in the middle of the block. Engineering reviewed the street lighting in the area and found that the spacing of street lights fell within City standards and provides adequate lighting for vehicle traffic in the area. The current city standard is to have street lights spaced at the mid -block of a street if the block exceeds 600' in length. Engineering contacted Alliant Energy to upgrade all of the street lights in the area from 70 watt fixtures to 100 watt fixtures. The city forester trimmed the trees in this block to boost the light levels at night. The residents still complained that the light levels are low at night. Engineering investigated the possibility of adding another street light on an existing Alliant power pole halfway between the corner street light at 25 Street and the existing mid -block street Tight, but the abutting property owner objected. The primary desire of the residents is to add security lighting for pedestrians. We believe expanding this lighting program will provide a tool and incentive for residents to increase the security lighting in their neighborhoods. The available funding of $34,700 would be enough to provide rebates for approximately 231 additional front yard lights. If some of the newly installed lights are back yard lights, even more lights could be funded with this program. Budget Impact $34,700 is currently budgeted for this program. There are no additional funds requested at this time. Recommendation Proposed area: It is proposed to expand the eligible area to downtown, north end and point areas of the City. All areas east of the bluff would be eligible to participate in the program. In addition, it is proposed to add any of the city's targeted neighborhoods (areas where more than 50% of the residents are low /moderate income.) Currently, property owners may apply for rebates for the purchase and installation of energy efficient electric or gas lighting fixtures. Building Services Manager Rich Russell recommends that permanently installed solar powered lights also be permitted and encouraged as a sustainability initiative. Action The City Council is requested to approve expansion of the Washington Neighborhood Yard Lighting Initiative to address one of the Safe Community Task Force recommendations. Encl: Map of low /moderate income areas of City City of Dubuque CDBG Target Areas ■ It 1 4 I h: \City Manager's Office \Neighborhoods\ Neighborhood Summit Maps\ CDBGTargets.mxd plotfiles: CDBGTargets_8.5x11.pdf created by NMB 05 -01 -07 Base data provided by Dubuque County GIS Legend drel La• Dubuque City Limits K CDBG Target Areas I THE CITY OF DUB Masterpiece on the Mississippi