City of Hemet begins LED streetlight retrofit – projected to save millions
HEMET — The City of Hemet announced they will begin LED retrofitting of over 4,200 streetlights with the months-long project scheduled to begin today, Thursday, Aug. 15. The retrofit project is expected to bring a variety of benefits to Hemet; including providing a longer lifespan for street lights, lowering regular scheduled maintenance costs, minimizing light pollution, and providing better visibility for the city’s streets.
“This is really going to help our officers with visibility in our neighborhoods at night,” Hemet PD officials enthused in a social media announcement regarding the planned project, which is anticipated to save approximately $4.6 million in energy costs over the next 20 years.
The City’s announcement follows on the heels of Wildomar announcing last month that their city has also begun the process of switching out the city’s streetlights to LED lights, a change widely heralded as a positive move forward for both cities.
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Through participation in the Western Riverside Council of Governments’ Regional Streetlight Program, the City selected new energy efficient LED fixtures and will begin streetlight conversions this week.
With these retrofits, the City will capture the full annual savings from lower energy consumption and utility costs, according to City officials.
In addition to energy and cost savings, the streetlight retrofit will also enhance public safety, improve the appearance nighttime sky, and create opportunities for smart city and revenue generating initiatives.
Work crews today began retrofitting all of the city’s street lights, replacing the old bulbs with LED lights, a move projected to save the city $4.6 million over the next 20 years.
“I am proud to see another infrastructure project begin for the residents of our community,” said Bonnie Wright, Mayor of Hemet and WRCOG Executive Committee Chairperson.
“This project, which illustrates the successes of partnership at the regional level, will bring significant financial savings to the City and improve visibility,” Wright continued. “This is another example of how we are committed to improving the quality of life for our residents.”
The retrofit project will have multiple start locations throughout Hemet and according to City officials, the contractor brought in to handle the retrofit project has “ramped up staff to make quick work of the project.”
Street closures will be minimal throughout the retrofit project, with most work being performed along the shoulder of area roads, but residents are always encouraged to be cautious of work performed in the roadway.
The project is expected to be completed before the end of October.
City of Hemet contributed to this report.
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Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he currently writes for or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, the (now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 29 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.