City Council to Reconsider Removal of Light Poles

The lights will go off, but the Los Angeles City Council decided Friday to reconsider plans to remove light poles from neighborhoods that vote against paying for the service amid concern that dark streets could jeopardize public safety.

The issue arose when the city moved to turn off the street lights on a section of Balboa Boulevard in Van Nuys after a vote against residents’ paying about $300 a year for the service.

The vote was required after California voters decided in 1996 to hold elections by which local residents would be asked to pay for most newly installed street-lighting services.

In the Balboa case, one property owner voted no--the only vote cast.

Under council action Friday, residents will have 30 days to request postponement of removal of the light standards.

At the request of Councilwoman Laura Chick, the council directed the Public Works Department to do a better job of educating the public about the effects of not voting. She said envelopes containing the mail-in ballots should include a bold warning on the cover, explaining that street lights may be turned off if ballots are not returned.

“I see such dire effects on public safety in terms of having neighborhoods go dark,” Chick said.

The council also asked its Public Works Committee to review the policy of removing light standards in neighborhoods where the street lights have been turned out.

“People are going to change their minds and want them [light standards] back, and then they can’t afford to have them reinstalled,” said Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg.

Street-lighting officials said the standards are removed to avoid the cost and time of fielding and responding to calls from residents wanting unused street lights turned on.