Paddock Lake balks at price tag for moving streetlights along Highway 50

Paddock Lake village officials are seeking an alternative to moving 40 streetlights along Highway 50 at an estimated cost to the village of over $70,000 when the road is widened by the Wisconsin Department of Transporation next year.

We Energies recently requested the village in conjunction with the road project switch to LED fixtures and pay $71,300 of the cost of the lights and moving poles. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is requiring all utilities along the route to be moved to avoid conflicts with the project.

“What pocket are we going to pull $71,000 from?” asked village President Terry Burns at Village Board committee of the whole meeting last week.

In 1987, when the two-lane Highway 50 was reconstructed and expanded to four lanes, the Village Board in cooperation with We Energies (then WEPCO) authorized the placement of 40 additional streetlights along Highway 50 and Highway 83, according to a village staff report on the issue. These 40 new lights were in addition to the 16 existing lights already on Highway 50.

The existing lights were paid for with a monthly charge added to the village’s utility bill for the lights. This time, We wants the money all at once, said Tim Popanda, village administrator.

Village Board members at last week’s meeting who gave their opinion were all in favor of disputing We Engeries’ plan.

Village officials seemed to to agreeable to paying for the changing of the light fixtures to LED, at a cost of $25 each. Paying for moving the poles was more of a sticking point.

President Terry Burns asked Popanda to approach We Energies with the argument that the moving of poles is being prompted by a WisDOT project and therefore is not the village’s responsibility, an argument supported by village attorney Jeff Davison.

“They are clearly the utility,” Davison said. “They have the responsibility for the relocation.”

Popanda said he would contact We Energies with the village’s concerns and then report back.

“We Energies is not going to be happy to hear from me,” Popanda said.

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