By Dennis Box

The Courier-Herald

Let there be light around Bonney Lake - and, according to the City Council, there will be.

The council has earmarked $80,000 per year to replace streetlights and install new ones.

According to Public Works Director Dan Grigsby, the city will see that all lights meet the new standard over the next few years.

The city currently intends to install 125 new streetlights around the city and add lights along state Route 410 for continuous illumination.

&#8220The state only installs lights at intersections,” Grigsby said. &#8220We want the light to be uniformly spaced along (SR) 410. It makes it really look like a downtown city corridor.”

Lights and poles will be installed on a &#8220priority basis. We'll a do some every year until we get it done,” Grigsby said.

The Public Works Department is drawing up a priority list for council approval with intersections at schools and parks at the top, followed by major arterials, cul de sacs and dead-end streets.

The cost of the lights varies depending on whether a light head only needs replacement or if a pole, light and power must be brought to the site.

The city buys the pole and Puget Sound Energy provides the light along with a maintenance agreement.

Installing a pole and light costs from $3,000 to $3,500 if power is available. The cost can jump to $7,000 if power has to be brought to the light.

The PSE maintenance agreement costs the city about $8 per month.

Lantern-style lights will be installed throughout most of the city in neighborhoods and the more standard cobra-head style will be used along state Route 410.

There are now 549 streetlights throughout the city. Grigsby said upgrading those lights will wait until after new lights are installed.

The council passed an ordinance last year directing Public Works to improve the street light system in the city for both safety and design.

Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com.