City hasn’t billed for 187 streetlights

A city audit of electrical usages has revealed that some 1,500 street and security lights around Alachua are not connected to an electrical meter.

The audit, conducted by the city’s Public Works department, was focused on identifying security and street lighting that isn’t being billed to customers, but is being paid for by the City.

Completed in August, the audit identified 173 streetlights in the Turkey Creek neighborhood and 14 in Alachua Highlands/Shaw Farms neighborhoods.  While the vast majority of the 1,558 unmetered lights exist on public roads, those in Turkey Creek and Alachua Highlands/Shaw Farms are considered to be on private roadways because the maintenance of those streets is funded by those private developments.

Public Services Director Mike New said according to a City ordinance, bills for those 187 lights would be billed at $8.50 each to their respective developments beginning in January.  But commissioners quickly tossed that idea aside and scheduled a follow-up workshop in which they hope to meet with each of the neighborhoods in question to hash out a plan for dealing with the lights.

Noting that Turkey Creek had reportedly already adopted its 2011 budget, Commissioner Ben Boukari, Jr. said he wanted to see the City find a way to work with the neighborhoods.  Abruptly starting billing in January would be doing to them what Alachua County did to the City when it failed to adopt a long-discussed fire assessment fee earlier this year.

“I also understand if something is being used, it should be paid for,” Boukari said.

Commissioner Robert Wilford was also quick point out that little discussion about the issue had taken place in the public forum.  The Turkey Creek Master Owners Association Board met Nov. 17, but didn’t know anything about the issue until an e-mail from the City a day later.

Before making a motion to hold a workshop about the matter, Commissioner Gary Hardacre said, “It’s obvious all of us have some concerns.”

The issue drew a crowd as several residents and board members from all of the neighborhoods stepped forward Monday night.  Though largely appreciative that the commission postponed the January billing, they remained concerned with what would ultimately happen. 

Some residents of Turkey Creek referred to original development agreements as proof that their neighborhood was not supposed to pay recurring usage fees for the streetlights

It is anticipated that a workshop to discuss the street and security lights issue will not be scheduled before the end of 2010.