Title
Street Lighting Request - Moonlight Bay and Wabamun Beach
Proposed Motion
That Council approve the installation of Street Lights at Moonlight Bay and Wabamun Beach with the condition that the capital costs be funded through a Local Improvement.
Body
Administration Recommendation
Administration supports the proposed motion.
Purpose
Property owners in the Moonlight Bay and Wabamun Beach subdivisions have requested street lighting be installed. As per Policy C-EN-016 Street Lighting, "All street lighting requests shall require approval of Council, ...". The proposed motion seeks Council approval of the street lighting request and outlines the conditions under which they will be paid for.
Summary
The Policy Statement within Policy C-EN16 Street Lighting (Attachment 1) directs that "All street lighting requests shall require the approval of Council, ...". Under that same policy under bullet 7, "All requests for street lighting shall be made in writing to the Director of Engineering Services". Attachment 2 is an email from an area resident that meets the requirement for notification in writing. Upon receipt of the email, Administration advanced information to Committee of the Whole on May 4, 2021 (Attachment 8) and now to Council to seek approval.
During the Committee of the Whole discussion, a few questions were asked to Administration. Administration has added information to this report in response. The following information, along with the previous (CoW) report, is intended to assist with Council's consideration of the proposed motion.
Project Costs
As outlined in Policy C-EN-016, the responsibility for Capital Costs are the developer’s costs, or in this case the cost of the landowners (as per clause 3, Attachment 1). The responsibility for Operating Cost is the County's responsibility (as per clause 4, Attachment 1).
Capital costs for the project are anticipated to be $70,000 (20 lights x $3,000 per light + $10,000 contingency for utility locates, brushing and minor activities). The work will include placing standard lights on existing wood poles. A detailed cost estimate will be created during the design phase and shared with area residents for consideration of the Local Improvements.
Operating costs are approximated to be $8,000 annually ($33/light/month x 20 lights x 12 months). Assuming project completion by end of Q3, the 2021 estimated operating cost is $2,000.
Lifecycle costs are the responsibility of Fortis. This infrastructure will be owned by Fortis, not the County therefore, when a pole or streetlight is replaced, this will be done by Fortis at no cost to the County. This applies to all lifecycle maintenance and operating costs.
Project Funding
As mentioned above, the project costs are estimated to be approximately $70,000. Policy C-EN-016 - clause 3 states that “Capital costs for street lighting within industrial areas, commercial areas, and multi-parcel residential subdivisions will only be considered where ... the benefiting landowners pay for the capital costs through local improvement charge or direct payment...".
Should Council approve the motion above, Administration will initiate a Local Improvement Plan in alignment with the Municipal Government Act (MGA) - Division 7 - Section 394 (attachment 7). In general terms, the steps are as follows:
1. Parkland County will work with Fortis to complete a design and a detailed construction cost estimate.
2. The design and cost estimate will be shared with area landowners.
3. Area landowners will reference the design plan and the cost estimate to conduct a petition to confirm support.
a. A valid petition with a minimum of 2/3 of affected landowners and 1/2 of the assessed value must be submitted to the County indicating support of the Local Improvement.
4. Following receipt of a valid petition and finalization of the Local Improvement Plan, the Local Improvement Plan will be shared with landowners and advertised accordingly.
5. An appeal period of 30-days will be possible following advertising and distribution of the Local Improvement Plan. Landowners opposed to the Local Improvement Plan will have an opportunity to complete an appeal petition.
a. If there is no appeal, Administration will bring a Local Improvement Bylaw forward for Council’s final approval of the project.
6. Following approval of the Local Improvement Bylaw (MGA 397(1)), work can be initiated on the project and the streetlights will be installed as per the Local Improvement Plan.
Area Landowners will have the option of payment up front or will have the option of a deferred payment over 10 years to be added to their annual tax payments.
The proposed method to determine cost share would be on a lot by lot basis, to be verified in the Local Improvement Plan. There are approximately 80 individual lots in the area. At a project cost of $70,000, this equates to approximately $875 / lot. Owners of multiple lots would pay the amount for each lot they own (i.e. 2 lots = $1,750).
Design Standards:
The existing overhead power lines throughout the subdivision will be used and all appropriate design standards will be applied.
• The streetlights will be mounted to existing wood power poles to reduce costs.
• The power feed to the streetlights will be directly off the existing lines (versus buried power lines).
• The signal heads are expected to be used are Fortis Alberta Standard Cobra Head
• The signal heads will be LED lights, to maximize power efficiency.
• The signal heads will be downward direct lighting, to reduce light emissions and to be compliant with Policy C-ES06 Dark Sky Outdoor Lighting.
• Fortis representatives were on site during the week of May 10-14, 2021, to visually confirm the proposed design is feasible and did not identify any concerns at this time. A formal design and quote are necessary to provide an accurate overall scope and budget of the streetlight project.
Project Management
The design of the street lighting will be done by Fortis at their cost. The County will have the opportunity to provide input to which areas require streetlights and to the overall intent of the project. Decisions that affect overall project costs will be managed by the County during the design phase. Construction management and installation of the lights will be the responsibility of Fortis. No additional County resources will be required to manage this project.
Fortis has confirmed capacity to complete work in 2021, subject to the project approval date to be provided by the County.
Crime Statistics for the Area
The County’s Enforcement Services team promotes Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles.
Through CPTED, the resident’s property is assessed by a Peace Officer, and recommendations are made in the interests of deterring crime on their property and thereby reducing the resident’s fears. When completing a risk assessment, it should include knowing the environment, crime history and environmental opportunities. The most common recommendation is to add additional lighting to high traffic areas. It is important to note that adding lighting can enhance or detract a person's perception of safety. While it does not necessarily stop crime, a person who intends to commit a crime is likely to choose a darker location and avoid the potential of being seen. Lighting should be consistent with no shadowed or glare areas and should be orientated on pedestrian pathways rather than roadways. The attached pictures are used as examples during the assessment process.
In the case of Moonlight Bay and Wabamun Beach, the residences are quite close together, and there are ample shadowed locations of concern. Administration's belief is that good lighting would help both pedestrian pathways and roadways in this area and increase the visual field to deter the criminal element. Additional lighting would also maximize the likelihood of visual identification of trespassers and support privately installed CCTV systems.
Administration does not have an area specific “heat map” to share with Council but has been in contact with RCMP and has prepared a summary of activities as shown on Attachment 6. Attachment 6 includes information relative to Gainford and Tomahawk as comparators.
Strategic Plan/Policy/Legal/Staff Implications:
Guiding Principle 1.1 - We offer a range of lifestyle choices, community services, and other amenities to meet community needs
Guiding Principle 1.2 - We are a region of connected communities, through infrastructure, transit, recreation facilities, trails and technology
Guiding Principle 3.2 - We responsibly manage growth to protect our region's biodiversity and the natural environment, while supporting a balance of land uses and strategic development
Guiding Principle 4.1 - We are recognized leaders in municipal governance, managing our resources responsibly and sustainably, ensuring we leave a vibrant and resilient community legacy to those that follow us.
Guiding Principle 4.3 - We ensure streamlined and modernized municipal operations and services, with a focus on customer service.
Financial Impact:
Capital Costs: Total project cost is estimated at $70,000 for installation ~$3,000/light + $10,000 contingency. All Capital Costs are to be funded through a Local Improvement Bylaw.
Operating Costs (2021 - $2,000*, Annual beyond 2021 - $8,000)
* Assumes lights operational in Q4 - 2021 only
Source of Funding: 2021 operating costs will be managed within existing budgets
Annual operating of $8,000 will be incorporated into future budgets
Other:
Policy C-ES06 Dark Sky Outdoor Lighting will be adhered to should request for street lighting move forward.