By Scott MacKeen
Staff Writer
9/17/09
A municipal decision to turn off half the town’s streetlights to save money is not going as planned, with one official describing the plan as “not feasible.” The process, originally expected to take a couple of months and save the town as much as $80,000, is apparently causing some concern and confusion among residents. As more lights have gone out, phone calls and e-mails from residents have increased, Town Administrator Kevin Mearn told Selectmen last week.
“There are some legitimate concerns and we’re listening to them,” said Mearn, explaining that concern for the elderly is the most common.
Other residents have been confused about which lights the town is shutting off and which are burning out on their own, prompting additional phone calls, said Mearn.
He explained that the Department of Public Works places yellow tape on lampposts with lights the town shuts off.
However, other unexpected challenges make it “not feasible” to have half of the town’s 3,300 streetlights out, Mearn said.
“We’re doing to the best we can, but we’re certainly not going to reach the 50 percent mark or the savings we had anticipated,” said Mearn. “It’s more challenging than we thought.”
In turning off the lights, Mearn said the DPW is careful to keep intersections and other dangerous areas well lit.
Mearn said DPW Director Joe Lynch will update the board at its next meeting Sept. 24.

– Scott MacKeen