The Engineering Division has a street reconstruction project planned for Midland Road in the summer of 2018.  The project will include installation of street lights along those portions of Midland Road that do not already have street lighting.  Passage of this Resolution of Intent is the first step in the legal process of creating a lighting maintenance district to pay the costs of operating and maintaining the new lighting. Passage of this Resolution of Intent will trigger the mailing of legal notices to the affected property owners and set a Council public hearing at the February 12, 2018, City Council meeting.

There is an existing SILMD 287 on a portion of Midland Road, which uses High Pressure Sodium lamps.  In order to create a uniform lighting pattern these lights will be converted to LED lamps. Therefore, this Resolution will also discontinue the existing SILMD 287 on Midland Road and replace it with SILMD 324 when it becomes energized. The new lighting will use steel mast arm-style poles with LED lamps and underground wiring. The existing lights will be retrofitted with LED lamps. The cost of installing the new lighting will be paid from the South Billings Blvd. Urban Renewal District (SBBURD).  The adjacent property owners will only pay for electrical energy and maintenance, through an assessment on their property taxes.

City Council may:

•  Pass the Resolution of Intent to create SILMD 324 to provide a source of funding for operation and maintenance of the street lights, discontinue SILMD 287 which will be absorbed into SILMD 324, and set a public hearing for February 12, 2018; or
• Do not pass the Resolution of Intent or set a public hearing date and continue SILMD 287. If the Council does not adopt the Resolution, the property owners cannot be assessed for operation and maintenance of the streetlights and the new lighting will not be installed.

All costs of maintaining and providing energy for the lighting are paid from assessments against the properties within the light district.  There are City owned properties within the district which will be assessed an estimated $1,544.91.

Staff recommends the City Council approve a Resolution of Intent to create SILMD 324, discontinue SILMD 287, and set a public hearing for February 12, 2018.