Main Street makes pitch for street lights

Decorative street lights lining Norris Avenue would be expensive -- but would also restore the charm, and maybe traffic, to downtown McCook.

The McCook City Council was asked for a donation of city funds for vintage-looking street lights along Norris Avenue, from A Street up to F Street, near the Frank Lloyd Wright House.

Doug Joyce, recently-elected president of the McCook Main Street program, approached the city council at its regular meeting Monday night and asked if during the budget talks it would consider allocating city funds for the project but didn't ask for a specific amount.

Joyce suggested replacing the current lights with ones similar to those used in front of Memorial Auditorium.

By using LED lights and burying overhead lines, the decorative post and lamps would add to the aesthetics of downtown McCook along with reduced energy costs, Joyce said.

The city of Ann Arbor, Mich., recently switched to all of its downtown street lights to LED technology and by using less energy, recouped its costs in four years, he said.

Decorative street lamps would improve the downtown economy, Joyce added, along with reducing street light maintenance and energy consumption.

City Manager Kurt Fritsch said the project has merit but would also involve substantial cost. "There's lots of questions and a lot of money is involved," he acknowledged.

In talks with the Nebraska Public Power District, Fritsch said the decorative lights would not be as tall as ones used now and not as bright, so more would have to be installed. But they might attract pedestrian traffic, especially at night.

Although it would be a major investment, funding could be found in sales tax revenue on a multi-year basis, he told the council.

"There's a lot of appeal -- but a lot of cost as well," he said.

City Clerk Lea Ann Doak said the lights in front of Memorial Auditorium cost $3,500 each. If lights were installed along Norris Avenue, additional expenses would be required to run utility lines underground.

Joyce said the costs could be lessened with community development block grants. The federal government is especially interested in projects that reduce energy consumption, he said.

The council took no action but will address the request later in the budget process.