LAC LA BICHE - The process for determining where to install street lights in the County of Lac La Biche is being revamped after two motions were approved by council on Feb. 25.
Ward 7 Coun. John Mondal wanted to see back-alley lighting in Lac La Biche and Plamondon added to the master plan following an informal petition.
The petition asked for “one or more back-alley streetlights at the following location, street address, or intersections: Lane North of 104 Ave, and 10409 Churchill Drive.”
According to the information given to council, 19 residents from 15 of the 17 addresses in the area had signed the petition. Administration said the petition did not meet the requirements of the Municipal Government Act (MGA) to be a formal petition and legally require action by council, but “this does not limit council’s ability to consider the informal petition and decide how to respond.”
According to the letter submitted with the petition, the residents are “bothered by attempted vehicle break-ins or actual robberies. As well they have had break-ins in garage with stolen items, which all cost money to replace.”
“We know there's a lot of crimes happening in the back-alley, and that is due to the lighting,” said Mondal. He noted the RCMP and Lac La Bice County peace officers have both given information about good lighting being a crime deterrent.
Mondel’s motion to add back-alley lighting for urban and rural areas into the street lighting implementation program master plan was carried with unanimous support.
According to Ali Memon, the interim general manager of infrastructure services, County administration has been working on a master plan for streetlights for 18 months.
As part of the plan, administration is developing a matrix for determining where streetlights will be placed. Points are awarded based on the type of road surface, number of lots, percentage developed, and existing streetlights.
Ward 6 Coun. Sterling Johnson was critical of the proposed matrix, noting the higher point values for paved roads or existing streetlights.
“If we follow this matrix, nothing would ever get done for rural, so I think it has to change. I would like direction to bring back something more rural orientated, to make it safer for people to walk down the road at night and that sort of thing when they're walking their pets and going for the mailboxes,” said Johnson.
A second motion to direct administration to present a rural street light matrix to meet the needs of rural residents in the County also carried with unanimous support.
