Lanesborough Selectmen Won't Turn on Streetlights
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Selectmen are telling residents of Baglee Avenue that if they want a streetlight they have to pay for it themselves.
Over the last few years, the Board of Selectmen has been removing streetlights it deems unnecessary. That includes those on Baglee Avenue and residents asked at Monday's meeting for the lights to be put back. But, the Selectmen are unwilling to do so.
"There are streetlights all the way down the street but they stop two houses from my street," Terry Cormier said. "It should not have been removed. It is a serious safety issue."
Cormier said she has lights on her porch but they don't extend all the way to end of the driveway. In the winter, she says it is tough to see when shoveling and if she falls, none of the neighbors will be able to see her to help.
But the Selectmen say there is enough light that the road doesn't need it.
Selectman Robert Ericson heads the town's energy committee, which has been working to reduce the town's electric bill by shutting down lights. He said he went to Baglee Avenue on Sunday night with a police officer and determined that putting in a streetlight would only be benefiting private usage and not resolving any safety concerns.
"Once adjusted to the dark, we could navigate the road fairly well," Ericson said. "I concluded, in the view of this town official, streetlights at this location are not necessary."
Ericson said if the town starts to put lights in areas for private convenience, then it would have to do it for everybody who asks.
He noted that "there were no exterior lights at either of the residences and no motion-sensing lights came on when we approached the residences." He suggested that homeowners invest in lighting for their garages and driveways themselves.
Helen Reilly rejected Ericson's notion that the residents do not have lights and said she has two lights on her driveway on motion detectors but it doesn't stretch to the road.
"There are sensor lights on both houses," she said.
Selectman Henry "Hank" Sayers said he, too, drove down the road and "it didn't seem to be an issue without the light."
"If you are willing to pay for it, we can make an arrangement," Sayers said.
The two residents said with taxes already going up, they shouldn't be responsible for the lights, which Ericson estimated cost around $300 a year. Sayers added that "there are a lot of streets in town that have no lights" including the road he lives on.
Chairman John Goerlach hadn't been up there and asked the board to postpone a decision on the matter until he could. But, "more than likely we will not put the light back," he said.
In other business, the Selectmen are going to look to increase the cost for a resident to connect the sewer system. At the next meeting, the board will be reviewing the current fee, which Goerlach said is about $600, along with other sewer charges. Goerlach said the fee to connect to the system is low compared to other towns.
"There should be a substantial amount to tie in. You are never going to have trouble with your septic again whereas a regular resident would still have to pump their tanks," Goerlach said.
However, right now the Selectmen aren't even sure where that money is going. They presume those connection fees are going to the enterprise fund but also wonder if it is going to the general fund instead. Either way, the board believes those fees should be put aside for future capital items regarding the sewer system.
"They should be trying to develop somewhat of a surplus," Town Manager Paul Sieloff said.
Goerlach added that he already knows of 14 people on Narragansett Avenue who are looking to extend the sewer system to the causeway.
On Monday, Sieloff also noted that a U.S. Department of Agriculture program for aerial seeding of cover crop for farms growing corn. From Aug. 10 until mid-September helicopters may be flying somewhat low to drop the crop.
"There will be a couple more helicopters flying around," Sieloff said.
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