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Mayor: Extra lighting for city will cost $125,000

Mayor Gabriel J. Campana’s proposal to have the city buy more lights to combat crime will cost $25,000 more than he estimated.

As part of a proposed $500,000 refinancing package before City Council, Campana wants council to authorize $125,000 – not $100,000, the original estimate he gave during a recent Scott Street news conference on his 10-point crime reduction plan – for additional light installation.

The money would go toward a “Lights On” initiative, Campana reiterated during Tuesday’s public safety committee meeting.

The committee didn’t vote on the proposal, but council is going to listen to an administration proposal asking the city to borrow up to $2.5 million.

The $2 million borrowing package has been approved on first reading, but before a final vote the administration is expected to explain the projects where the $500,000 additional money would go.

Campana said he estimated it would cost $100,000 to provide lights for neighborhoods that are dimly lit. “Crooks don’t like lights,” he said.

It would cost $25,000 for putting additional lights and wattage illuminating at Way’s Garden, a park at West Fourth and Maynard streets. The park has eight existing lights, he said.

“We need to do something now before we have an incident there,” Campana said.

The mayor has a theory that 10 surveillance cameras operating in four city parks, including Newberry, Memorial, and Flanigan parks, may drive out drug dealers to seek areas of the city that are less illuminated.

He estimated it would cost $500 to $900 per light on a pole.

“We’re going to listen to citizens where the lights should go,” he added.

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