According to Burton Councilman Steve Heffner, a $45,600 state grant will pay to install ballasts and buy LED lights at City Hall and the Department of Public Works and Police Administration buildings. And the grants also will pay to install the fixtures in parking lots outside the building.
Additionally, City Controller Ginger Burke-Miller disclosed that approximately $600,000 has been set aside for street lighting in the 2011-2012 budget, an increase of $100,000 from the previous year.
The company that did the audit, Macomb Township-based LumaSmart Technology International, said the city said could save $94,929 in lighting costs — cutting wattage usage by more than 75 percent — and $52,804 in maintenance over the 11-year life expectancy of the LED lights.
As part of the grant, Burke-Miller said the city must also promote energy efficiency for homes and businesses in the city. She thought that “We can do that through educational brochures about LED lights and green business initiatives.”
Heffner said the city will be able to calculate how much the new lights are saving by looking at its prior bills.