Mayor Dennis Estok has been discussing the possibility of replacing the lights in the downtown area during the last few Knox City Council meetings. They have been experimenting with a new kind of bulb. When they first met in September, he suggested that the council members take a little time after the meeting was adjourned to see the change and provide their input.
At their meeting last Tuesday, Mayor Estok said the experiment bulb was moved from its initial placement due to an obstruction from a near by tree. However, even with the tree covering the original spot, many council members said they could see a definite difference in brightness.
Estok mentioned that even though the members may have noticed a difference at the original spot, he wanted to move it to a place where it could be observed more clearly before any definitive actions were taken. The new LED bulb was re-positioned in front of the WIC office on Main Street.
With the current lighting arrangement, Estok said they’re losing about 50 percent of the light since the lamp posts are tarnished and dated. Council President Don Kring asked what the difference would be cost wise. Although at the time, Estok could not provide specific figures he said he was advised the LED bulbs would provide more illumination and save a significant amount of money to operate.
