HomeMy Public PortalAbout5d Staff Report PW- Decorative Streetlighting LED Capital Upgrades
Town of Fraser
PO Box 370, Fraser, CO 80442 office 970-726-5491 fax 970-726-5518
www.frasercolorado.com
MEMO TO: Mayor Vandernail and the Board of Trustees
FROM: Allen Nordin, CWP, Public Works Director
DATE: September 20, 2017
SUBJECT: Staff Report PW : Upgrade/Retrofit- US40 Decorative Street Lighting LED
Fixtures
MATTER BEFORE BOARD:
Consideration of a budgeted expenditure for the purchase of new energy-efficient light sources
for the decorative street light poles along the US40 corridor.
ACTION REQUESTED:
A motion to approve 2017 budgeted expenditures of NTE $40,000 for the replacement and
upgrade of 57 new LED lighting sources for the decorative streetlights along US40.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The decorative street lighting that lines both sides of US40 will be upgraded from conventional
high-pressure sodium bulbs to new energy-efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) sources as
discussed and approved in the 2017 budget, and is consistent with the Board’s continued
commitment to reducing our carbon footprint. Staff has reviewed and compared alternate
choices for a replacement product and is recommending the fixture upgrade/retro kit to the
original manufacturers product.
BACKGROUND:
Sometime in the past, possibly around 1979 and as a part of enhancing the ‘curb appeal’ of old
Town Fraser along US40, the overhead power lines that were adjacent to US40 were relocated
to secondary streets off of the US40 corridor. During these improvement efforts, it’s our
understanding that additional ‘curb appeal’ improvements included the installation of the
sidewalks, curb & gutter, drainage improvements and decorative street lighting fixtures.
At that time, the Fraser Municipal Code did not have any ‘dark sky’ compliant language and
therefore utilized a fixture that provided a 360-degree lighting pattern that provided more than
ample lighting on the ground and surrounding areas from each light pole. Today, the Fraser
Town of Fraser
PO Box 370, Fraser, CO 80442 office 970-726-5491 fax 970-726-5518
www.frasercolorado.com
Municipal Code requires “all commercial luminaires shall be dark sky compliant” and these LED
retro kits will address that requirement.
The cost for replacing 57 conventional lighting fixtures with new LED retro fixtures is estimated
to be around $40,000. Staff believes they will be able to make the conversions without the use
of an electrical contractor, however, in the event we find the need to engage a contractor as we
move forward we have included a contingency amount in the overall cost, if needed.
Additionally, and as a follow up, there have been other exterior energy-efficient lighting
upgrades to town owned properties including the Town Hall, the Public Works facility and the
security lighting fixtures that Mountain Parks Electric (MPE) provides and maintains throughout
town. Earlier this year MPE approached Fraser with a beta-program proposal to upgrade all of
the security lighting fixtures throughout town with new energy-efficient LED security lighting
fixtures at no upfront or out-of-pocket cost to Fraser. MPE would recapture their cash outlay for
the labor and materials over a period of a few years through the energy savings the new
efficient fixtures will provide. This was another opportunity to collaborate with MPE on these
upgrades that will provide energy cost-savings of over 30%+.
Finally, the 14 conventional lighting fixtures along the Amtrak platform are being replaced in the
next couple of weeks with energy-efficient ‘dark-sky’ compliant LED lighting sources as an
additional component of the 2017 budget and a continuation of our carbon footprint reduction
efforts.
Once all of the energy-efficient lighting fixtures have been installed, staff will work with MPE to
process any rebates they have to offer as a result of the LED conversions.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Replace the conventional lighting source with the new energy-efficient LED light source.
2. Leave the existing conventional lighting source in place.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of Resolution No. 2017-09-04 for the purchase of new energy-
efficient light sources for the decorative street light poles along the US40 corridor, as outlined
above.