OOLITIC – During the October Town Council meeting, the Town of Oolitic discussed the need of upgrading street lights in town.
Councilmember Jon Broglin brought to the attention of the council during that meeting that select parts of town have street lights that are either out or lightly dimmed, causing some roadways to have little to no light during the night. Saying that upgrading the lights could potentially cut the cost for the town by one-third if they switched to LED lights.
Part of the process was to determine if the town owned the light poles, or if Duke Energy was the owner. After discussion and collaboration with Duke Energy, it was determined that the light poles are owned by Duke Energy.
800 plus lights will be replaced with LED lighting, at no cost to the town, which will in turn cut the cost of electricity for Oolitic. This will benefit both parties, as it will make the roadways brighter at night, and Duke Energy can promote its LED lights in a way to promote going green.
The planned installation will have to, unfortunately, wait until spring, when all of the parts are in. Once the process begins, it will take an estimated 30 days to complete the turnover. Following this, the town will then continue to investigate areas that may need additional lighting, where the town can acquire more street lights to ensure the safety of everyone who drives through Oolitic in the dark.
