Street lights to stay

Tori Sutton
Staff Reporter
Standard concrete light posts on Ontario Street are here to stay.

Stratford council will take no action on residents’ concerns  that the concrete posts, being installed along the stretch of Ontario Street currently under construction, are unsightly and poorly placed.

Early in Monday night’s meeting, while sitting as the public works committee, council voted to refer the matter to 2009 budget deliberations. However, when council reconvened, they defeated the motion.

City staff had outlined two options to deal with the lights. The first would have seen the standard arms and cobra heads on the concrete poles replaced with decorative features at a cost of $102,000.

The second option called for the replacement of the poles, arms and cobra heads with decorative features at a cost of $390,000.

Council heard that all the poles, with the exception of three, have already been installed. George Bowa, director of engineering and public works, with so many already installed, the money that would be saved by switching them now is minimal.