At the October 24, 2017 Grand Terrace Council Meeting, the Council unanimously approved that the contract with St. Francis Electric now include replacement of HSP Light Fixtures with LED lights at all signalized intersections. With council member Brian Reinarz making a motion to approve the amendment which was seconded by council member Doug Wilson, the rest of the council agreed that the introduction of LED lights in the city would save the city monies over the next 11 years for sure. G. Harold Duffey, City Manager has stated, “The lights are marketed in two ways: the LED lights are supposed to be 63% more efficient in terms of savings. The City will spend approximately on electricity about $5,000 per month, and multiply that by 63%, that would be the annual cost for street lights with a savings of approximately $2,000 a month. Alan French, Public Works Director, had just given a power point presentation to the council and he pointed out that his findings about the LED lights savings was that the lights last longer and use less energy. Furthermore, the lights would last approximately 100,000 hours of lighting which would equal 11 years.
Council member Hussey believes the LED lighting will provide clarity to the City’s cameras which will assist in fighting crime. City Manager Huffy supported Huffy’s assessment by saying that it has been shown that a well-lit street does reduce crime. The city is participating with SCE and is scheduled in March of next year to have all the City’s lights to be converted over to LED lights at no cost.