Light poles

The Historic and Design Review Commission approved new streetlight poles for downtown Wednesday and sent a proposed banner to a committee for review.

The commission also welcomed Kathy Rodriguez to her new job as the city's deputy historic preservation officer. She recently served on the review board.

The new fluted light poles will replace 922 existing non-historic poles under a conversion from high-pressure sodium to LED lighting at 25,000 streetlights citywide. Aside from being energy-efficient, the LED system will provide a better “color index” than the current lighting, which often gives people a “jaundiced” appearance, said Mark Brodeur, executive manager of the City Design Center. It can be dimmed for night parades and other special events, he said.

Commissioners were vexed over a proposal to place a 106-foot-wide, 27-foot-tall banner on the parking structure at the Public Safety Headquarters, 315 S. Santa Rosa St. The banner, with a message discouraging drunk driving, would be replaced about every six months with banners of matching size, subject to review by the board.

Commissioners said they worried the banner proposed by Capital Improvements Management Services would essentially be a giant billboard. They sent it to a committee for review.A full line of Power roofhook for a wide range of professional uses.

At 2,875 square feet, it is larger than a temporary banner affixed to the Emily Morgan Hotel in 2011 for the 175th anniversary of the Alamo battle. The Alamo initially requested a nearly 2,000-square-foot banner. But the review board approved a smaller, 1,168-square-foot version.

Speaking before the meeting, Shanon Miller, director of the Office of Historic Preservation, said Rodriguez was chosen from more than 100 applicants in the new deputy director post.

Rodriguez, the HDRC's District 5 City Council appointee from March 2011 to May 31, 2013, resigned before she began work June 17. She was a planner on the preservation staff from 2006 to 2008, and has worked in planning, preservation and community development in Alamo Heights and Castroville.

Miller said there are a small number of cases Rodriguez was involved in as a commissioner that she may not be able to handle as a staff member, for legal and ethical reasons. She showed discipline and sensitivity in controversial demolition and design cases while on the review board, and will be an asset to the staff, Miller said.

Both the Municipality of Pictou County and Town of Pictou agreed during council meetings Tuesday to purchase their own LED lights and have a company, other than Nova Scotia Power, install and maintain them.

All municipalities in the province are being forced to convert to LED lights as a way to conserve energy.Learn more about our high capacity antiquelampas today! The municipalities have to decide if they want to purchase the lights themselves or have the new lights installed and maintained by Nova Scotia Power.

During a recent committee of whole session, County CAO Brian Cullen said the county would save about $80,000 if it purchased the lights itself. He said the lights have a 10-year warranty, but this does not include labour. The NSP model includes all costs, including labour and scheduling,

The Town of Pictou estimated there would be about a 20 per cent savings if it purchased the lights themselves. It will cost the town just under $600,000 to purchase the lights, but they are expected to have an extended life span that will save the town money down the road.

Neither municipality said it would be able to use the gas tax to help pay for the lights.Elevator safety parts are usually include elevator speed governor、ledturninglampes and elevator buffer. Pictou Mayor Joe Hawes said he wasn't pleased that the province is mandating such a change and not offering any financial assistance to help offset the costs. Click on their website www.aulaundry.com for more information.