Christmas already? City plans to light up downtown life this December
By Andrew Bennett
Rossland council authorized the purchase of 40 new 4.5 foot diameter top-mount Christmas lights—or “winter” lights as the mayor preferred to call them—for the new street lamps on Columbia Ave. and Washington St. to First Ave.
Rossland previously had 30 snowflake lights, but the manager of operations, Darrin Albo, wrote to council that “the old lights do not fit on the new poles.” Mayor Greg Granstrom added at the Oct. 9 meeting that the previous lights were “all falling apart.”
“Do we get to choose?” Coun. Jill Spearn asked.
Granstrom laughed, “No, we’re not having a committee to choose.”
“You could certainly choose,” CAO Cecile Arnott said, “but what I’m hearing from public works is that they do want something that’s mounted on top.” She added, “And we do need the decision tonight.”
Public works were under a short timeline to purchase the lights by Oct. 15 so they could be installed by Dec. 1.
Albo did give council several options, however, from installing fewer lights—for example, only 16 lights at the main intersections—to a choice between three different lights.
Side-mounted lights were smaller and would have required the banners hanging from the lamps to be removed. “Staff also noted that tree branches may obscure the view.”
Three-foot diameter side-mounted snowflake lights were the least expensive option, at $418 per light, including freight but excluding HST. A four-foot side-mounted light would have cost $636.
Council agreed with the staff recommendation to purchase 4.5 foot top-mounted lights at $508 per light. The total cost for 40 lights came to $20,320 which will be funded out of the Operations Fund within the budget.
“They’re beautiful,” Granstrom assured Spearn as she and council looked at pictures. “Public works has investigated this to the nth degree.”
“I’m sure they have,” Spearn agreed.
