Reversing a decision made at the previous Fulton City Council meeting, city streets will be sporting the fancier lights after all.
Due to a price difference between fiberglass and black steel, the council had opted for the cheaper version. However, you get what you pay for, and a closer inspection of 20-year-old fiberglass poles showed fading and a need for repainting, while 40- or 50-year-old black steel poles showed no such need, Fulton City Engineer Kyle Bruemmer said.
"Some of the old fiberglass poles need some painting; it's a common problem," he said. "We've got some older steel poles in town that were black and are still black. Definitely, the ultraviolet light has worked on that fiberglass."
The city is installing new LED street lighting on West Fourth Street and 27 more lights on the north side of downtown along Bluff Street. A fiberglass pole costs $800 while a steel pole is $1,300.
Council member Jeff Stone said keeping the Bluff Street poles the same as those south on U.S. Business 54 will give a feel of continuity. And as the entire stretch of highway will be reconstructed this summer (starting July 9), now would be a good time to upgrade everything.
City utility workers are still working to bury utility lines on Bluff Street, going north from Market Street.
The steel poles with the decorative heads are about $3,500 each - an estimate as the project will still seek quotes. Money will come from the city's electric fund.