The Carroll City Council approved a nearly $100,000 purchase at their meeting on Monday to replace damaged decorative light posts along the Highway 30 corridor. Public Works Director Randy Krauel says only three lights are currently nonfunctional, but the city is purchasing 10 due to the difficulty it’s had in sourcing matching equipment.
The decorative streetlighting was installed during the city’s multi-phase streetscape project, which initially began in 2004. Because these replacements are essentially custom orders, they are priced accordingly. Each fixture is quoted at $6,177.42, and each associated pole at $3,650.54, bringing the combined per-unit price to $9,827.96. Altogether, the order totals $98,279.60. While only three lights need to be replaced at this time, the remaining seven will be inventoried and put to use down the line. Krauel says this is an unscheduled expense for the city, but there are alternatives to provide funding.
Tax increment financing (TIF) creates a revenue source for cities by freezing valuations in a specified area, with future growth within that district collected solely by the city and reinvested in the area. Nearly all the issues with the Highway 30 fixtures are associated with vehicle impacts, and At-Large Councilman Jeff Cayler says those drivers’ insurance companies should be covering a portion of these expenses.
Between insurance payments and TIF collections, city officials estimate the cost for these lights will be reimbursed within a year. The council voted unanimously at Monday’s meeting to authorize the nearly $100,00 purchase and the required resolution for the city’s General Fund to be reimbursed through TIF funds to be collected in Fiscal Year 2028.
