Staff recommends City Council approve the Resolution of Intent to create SILMD 329 and amend SILMD 263 on Hallowell Lane and set a public hearing date of January 11, 2021.

Reconstruction of Hallowell Lane is planned for the spring of 2021. The improvements that are planned include the installation of 36 street lights within the project area. Due to anticipated long lead times on pole delivery, early creation of the SILMD will ensure that the poles will be available by the time construction is wrapping up. The City will administer the SILMD by assessing the property owners for the costs of maintaining the district and paying Northwestern Energy for the electricity.  Passage of this Resolution of Intent is the first step in the legal process of creating a lighting maintenance district to pay the maintenance and operation costs. Passage of this Resolution of Intent will trigger the mailing of legal notices to the affected property owners and set a public hearing at the January 11, 2021 City Council meeting.

The new lighting will use LED lamps and underground wiring.  The cost of installation will be paid for with project funds.  The adjacent property owners will only pay for electrical energy, ongoing maintenance, and administration costs through an assessment on their property tax statements.  Light district assessments are estimated at $0.699390 per lineal foot and will range from approximately $34.97 to $462.30 per year depending on the Hallowell Lane frontage of the property within the District boundary. The total yearly assessment is estimated to be $5,826.62.

Corner lots currently under assessment in existing light districts will also be assessed in the new SILMD 329 as they benefit from lighting in both districts.

SILMD 263 will be amended to remove the parcel with Tax ID D01597, described in Exhibit C. The lights in SILMD 263 run along State Avenue and it has been determined that the parcel with Tax ID D01597 will not have as much benefit from that lighting compared to SILMD 329.

City Council may:

• Pass the Resolution of Intent to Create SILMD 329 to provide a source of funding for operation and maintenance of the streetlights and set a public hearing for January 11, 2021; or
• Do not pass the Resolution of Intent or set a public hearing date. If the Council does not adopt the Resolution, the property owners cannot be assessed for operation and maintenance of the streetlights, so the new lighting will not be installed.

There are two City of Billings owned properties located within the District. The total assessed frontage is 1,262 feet which equates to an estimated total annual assessment of $882.63.