Supervisors set hearing for Street Lighting District increase

On July 23 the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing to increase the San Diego County Street Lighting District annual assessment from $6.17 to $6.48 per benefit unit for properties in Zone A of that district.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors, who also serve as the board of the San Diego County Street Lighting District, set the hearing date on June 25. The supervisors’ June 25 action also approved the Engineer’s Report for the street lighting district.

The increase reflects the increased cost of labor, material, and electricity. The increase is expected to generate an additional $51,453 for the district.

The County of San Diego’s Department of Public Works, which operates the San Diego County Street Lighting District, has adopted a policy of slight annual increases to keep pace with energy costs rather than a large increase as was the case in 2004.

“We anticipate that five percent should be adequate,” said Michele Stress, the Department of Public Works program coordinator for special districts. “We’re trying to cut costs wherever we can.”

Minimizing cost increases has been difficult during the past year. “Electricity is our major cost,” Stress said.

The increase in material costs has not only led to increased cost of purchasing specific quantities of material needed for a street light but has also led to metal theft, especially of copper, from county lights.

“Those are from energized poles often,” Stress said. “We haven’t caught anybody stealing wire.”

The Department of Public Works encourages witnesses to wire theft to call 9-1-1 and report the crime, and DPW has also installed anti-theft devices in some areas. “So far those have worked, but there’s no guarantee,” Stress said.

Vandalism crimes also require the need to replace lights. “People have been taking guns and shooting out the lights,” Stress said.

During spring 2008 between 20 and 25 lights were shot out in Fallbrook on Morro Road, Palomino Road, McDonald Road, Dulin Road, and Old Highway 395. Because the hole went through two layers of sheet metal with cast aluminum, DPW believes that bullets rather than BBs were used to shoot those lights.

Lights must also be replaced if hit by a motor vehicle. “Our knockdown count is up this year,” Stress said.

The San Diego County Street Lighting District was formed in September 1987. The district itself includes the entirety of unincorporated San Diego County; Zone A covers parcels which benefit from street lights in the district while Zone B consists of the remainder of the district.

The district operates approximately 10,000 lights, some of which are owned by the county and some of which are owned by San Diego Gas & Electric but for which the San Diego County Street Lighting District pays the electricity costs. Approximately 37 percent of the lights are owned by SDG&E.

Zone A includes 786 street lights in Fallbrook, 78 in Bonsall, seven in Rainbow, and one in Pala.

Zone A covers more than 100,000 benefit units and 200,000 customers. In 1987 the voters approved an assessment rate of up to $25.00 per year per benefit unit, with a single-family home equating to one benefit unit, although in 1990 the fee was reduced from $23.00 to $2.50 per benefit unit.

That $2.50 assessment remained unchanged until 2004, when rising energy costs and a state budget shift from special districts did not allow increased efficiency to offset the additional expenses.

The assessment was increased to $5.33 per benefit unit for Fiscal Year 2004-05, $5.60 for 2005-06, $5.88 for 2006-07, and $6.17 for 2007-08.

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