FARMINGDALE — The town’s selectmen have agreed to make the switch to LED streetlights, a move that could save 88% of its lighting operation costs.
The town entered into an agreement with Dover, New Hampshire-based Affinity LED Lighting on Wednesday at a projected cost of $59,356 to make the change. The town also must pay Central Maine Power $22,575 for the town’s 184 streetlight fixtures.
According to Affinity documents from February 2019, the town will save 88% on operating expenditures each year by installing the more-efficient lights. The town now pays $26,050 per year to operate the lights. Affinity estimated that cost would decrease to $3,505.
The final price is not set in stone; that will depend on a geographic information system audit review of fixture types and sizes. The fixtures will not be network-controlled, but the contract states that change could be made with a later project.
Board Chairwoman Nancy Frost said the project should begin soon, now that the contract is signed. The contract states that all work will be completed by Dec. 31.
The 2019 town report states in a letter from the selectmen to Farmingdale residents that the town would make up the cost of the project in energy savings in 36 months. Over 20 years, according to estimates, the town would save more than $547,000 with LED streetlights, as opposed to traditional streetlights.
In fiscal year 2018-19, the town appropriated $31,000 for streetlights, but used $30,085 and returned $915 to surplus. This year, town meeting voters approved $110,000 in funding for street lights, raising $30,000 through property taxes and funding the remaining $80,000 through surplus from the prior fiscal year. About $82,000 will go toward the project and about $28,000 will be used for operating costs for the current lights.
Town Clerk Rose Webster said the payment schedule for the current streetlights is built into the budget because she was unsure when the work would be done. She said any unspent money would be directed to surplus.
The contract includes a one-year guarantee for materials used and a 10-year guarantee for lighting fixtures. Affinity will furnish all materials, supplies, tools, equipment, labor and other services; but if a police detail is necessary during the course of work, the town will be responsible for that.
Frost said Thursday that the savings might not be enough to reduce property taxes, but the savings will help the town “tons and tons.” She said the Town Office also has been outfitted with LED streetlights.
Affinity is one of two major players facilitating switches locally, with the other being RealTerm Energy, which has offices in Annapolis, Maryland, and Montreal. Officials from Chelsea, Farmingdale, Vassalboro, Belgrade, Randolph, Pittston and Gardiner met in October 2018 in the Randolph Town Office to hear a presentation from RealTerm officials.
Frost said the town’s next big project could be renovating the Town Office to be more compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act standards. As part of that change, the selectmen’s meeting room could be moved to the truck bay of the Farmingdale Fire Station when the department moves into its new station near Gosline’s Hardware.
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