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ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE APPROPRIATION OF $2,000,000 TO LIGHT UP STOCKTON PROJECT
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the transfer of $2,000,000 from FY 2023-24 Year End Discretionary Funds - City Council Priority Project to the Light Up Stockton, Project No. WD25046.
It is also recommended that the City Manager be authorized to take appropriate and necessary actions to carry out the purpose and intent of this resolution.
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Summary
Light Up Stockton is a Council Priority Project focused on streetlight replacement and repairs. The City is responsible for approximately 19,800 streetlights. Currently there are 367 non-functioning streetlights that require replacement or are inoperable due to wire theft, and there is a critical need to make these streetlights operational. This project will also convert the remaining 133 decorative metal halide (MH) streetlights in the downtown area to light-emitting diode (LED) luminaires (Attachments A and B).
It is recommended that Council adopt a resolution authorizing the transfer of $2,000,000 from City Council Discretionary funds to Light Up Stockton, Project No. WD25046.
DISCUSSION
Background
The City is responsible for the operation and maintenance of approximately 19,800 streetlights. The copper wires that conduct electricity to the lights are accessed by pull boxes located on the sidewalk or the landscaped area next to the light. Wire thieves break into the pull boxes to steal wire and sell it to recyclers as scrap metal. Streetlight wire theft has increased dramatically in the last decade, coinciding with the increase in copper value. This phenomenon is not unique to Stockton; it is an issue that other agencies and industries contend with nationwide.
In 2015, Public Works Operations and Maintenance staff began experimenting with a proprietary pull box lid made of steel with a unique locking mechanism. The locking pull box lids were used successfully for approximately one year until thieves found ways to break into these locking street lids.
In 2017, staff experimented with backfilling pull boxes with low-density concrete caps, but thieves have managed to break through these caps as well.
In 2024, staff began a pilot to evaluate the use of solar streetlighting. The project is roughly four months underway and appears to look promising in terms of providing ample light during inclement weather and proving less attractive to theft and vandalism.
The City is also responsible for the maintenance of approximately 2,269 decorative streetlights throughout the City, with 624 located in the downtown area. In 2023, the Downtown Decorative Street Light LED project replaced 491 decorative MH streetlights with LED within the downtown area. Recent improvements to LED technology have increased efficiency and reduced product cost, making LED streetlights the preferred light source. LED streetlights use less energy and have a longer luminaire lifetime than MH, reducing ongoing electricity and general maintenance costs. Conversion of these lights generates the most significant reduction in electrical consumption with an average of 60 percent, which yields the greatest financial and carbon footprint impact.
Present Situation
There are currently 367 non-functioning streetlights that require replacement or are inoperable due to wire theft. Approximately 73,000 linear feet of wire and their accompanying utility boxes were stripped of wires at 41 locations citywide. There is a critical need for public safety to make these streetlights operable. Additionally, the project will convert the remaining 133 decorative MH streetlights in the downtown area to LED luminaires, providing more efficient and safer lighting for the public.
It is recommended that Council adopt a resolution authorizing the transfer of $2,000,000 from FY2023-24 Year End Discretionary Funds - City Council Priority Project to the Light Up Stockton, Project No. WD25046.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
In December 2024, with Resolution 2024-12-03-1504, the City Council approved the appropriation of $3 million in FY2023-24 Year End Discretionary Funds to support Council Priority Projects.
Approving a transfer of $2,000,000 from FY2023-24 Year End Discretionary Funds - City Council Priority Project to the Light Up Stockton, Project No. WD25046 will provide sufficient funding based on the below-estimated project costs:
FY2023-24 Year End Discretionary balance to support Council Priority Projects will be left with $1 million for additional projects as identified by Council.
Attachment A - Vicinity Map
Attachment B - Location List