Syracuse’s Common Council plans to vote next week on a proposal to approve the city’s purchase of the entire streetlight system from National Grid.

The purchase would cover all of the lighting fixtures that the city currently pays to maintain but not privately-owned lighting fixtures. Lonny Bornstein, energy manager for the city of Syracuse, said the city will replace all of the fixtures, which are about 25 years old, near the end of their lives.

The city plans to replace the high-intensity discharge lights with LED lights, which will be low-maintenance and increase energy savings, Bornstein said. The project also includes funds to update poles, conduits, wires and other parts that are not visible when the light is on.

“After 25 years, you’ll have not only 25 years of light, but you’ll have the ability to replace that with the next new technology — that is built into the project,” Bornstein said.

Mayor Ben Walsh said in an April interview that if the city owns the street poles, it can install “smart technology” for traffic and congestion management.

“It really opens up an entire world of technological opportunities we’re currently not using here,” Walsh said. “Again, with the whole purpose being to deliver services more effectively and efficiently.”

The council also plans to vote Monday on whether the city will get an upgraded fluoride system.

The total cost of the fluoride project is estimated at $1.2 million, and the city’s water department has already received a grant covering nearly $650,000. The city applied for an additional grant that would cover the majority of the remaining cost.

The current system was put in place in 1978, said Beth Smith, management analyst for the city’s water department. Smith said 40 years ago, the city constructed two large bulk storage tanks to hold fluoride and put 81 gallons of fluoride through the system. The fluoride goes through chemical lines to a water intake crib in Clift Park in Skaneateles, which allows the fluoride to be injected into the water.

The safe level of fluoride set by the New York State Department of Health is 0.7 milligrams per liter of water, Smith said. The water department monitors that level throughout the system, ensuring the proper residual amount is arriving to the drinking water in the city of Syracuse.

Smith said the city is currently using backup injection lines because the main lines have broken down. With the Fluoride System Replacement Project, the city would install a new electrical system and security intrusion alarms, in addition to installing Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. SCADA allows computers to monitor data and make sure the proper chemical injection is done.

Councilor Susan Boyle, of the 3rd district, asked Smith whether fluoride truly provides health benefits because she said she’s seen research stating fluoride is detrimental to people’s health.

“I think with any additive to the water, there’s pros and cons,” Smith said. “The pros outweigh the cons — and the cons, I don’t believe, have been well-documented. We rely on the New York State Department of Health. It’s not a personal decision.”

Published on November 14, 2018 at 10:10 pm

Contact Dakota: dapalmer@syr.edu