Santa Paula staff proposes solar street-light pilot on Eighth Street; council approves public outreach and pilot planning
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Summary
Public Works presented two solar street-light products and a pilot plan for Eighth Street between Harvard and Main; council asked staff to test a small segment, confirm wattage/brightness and historic compatibility, and to check other vendors used by Ventura County before returning with a consent item.
Public Works presented a proposal to pilot solar-powered street lights on Eighth Street (Harvard to Main) where many original concrete poles are deteriorated and existing fixtures no longer function. Staff sought direction on product selection, aesthetics and a small pilot installation to evaluate performance and appearance.
Why it matters: Replacing aging, hard-wired streetlights citywide would be expensive and disruptive because much of the existing conduit and wiring is damaged. Solar-powered fixtures provide an alternative: they require only a footing and bolt-down installation, avoid underground conduit work, and reduce long-term energy and wiring costs. Council was interested in balancing aesthetics (historic character downtown) with brightness and public safety.
Details and council guidance: - Staff showed two vendors' offerings: a higher-output ClearWorld fixture (50W LED with larger battery/solar pack) and a smaller Solucio option (20W LED). Staff noted the ClearWorld product had a longer battery life, programmability and higher lumen output. - The project footprint for the Eighth Street segment would be 14 fixtures staggered along both sides of the street. Estimated installation cost for the pilot segment was about $120,000; rewiring the old system in-kind had been previously estimated at $400,000—$500,000 for a much larger corridor. - Council asked staff to: (1) pursue a pilot on Eighth Street so the community can evaluate the fixtures in place; (2) check the other vendor seen in county bike-trail projects and obtain comparative bids; (3) confirm fixture wattage/brightness and "animal-friendly" color temperature options; and (4) ensure pole finish complements the downtown historic palette (staff suggested black powder-coat to blend with black solar panels).
Outcome and next steps: Council gave staff direction to proceed with a pilot outreach plan and return with vendor bids and a proposed consent item that would authorize the pilot installation and associated outreach to adjacent residents.