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Published Wednesday, November 18, 2009 in Local

Senoia works to cut costs of operating city Christmas lights

By Sarah Fay Campbell

The Newnan Times-Herald

The city of Senoia is hoping to drastically reduce the electrical cost of the city's Christmas decorations.

The city's annual Light Up Senoia event is set for Dec. 5. It will feature a parade, a visit from Santa and the lighting of the city's Christmas tree.

Suzanne Helfman and Gail Downs appeared before the city council Monday to discuss the budget for the event.

Last year's electric bill for the lights during the Christmas season was nearly $2,000.

The lights had been running 24/7 in the past, said Downs. With timers, the lights could come on at dusk and turn off around midnight, she said.

Mayor Robert Belisle said the city would no longer pay electric bills for lights on private property.

"If the lights are on a building, it needs to be the buildings' responsibility," Belisle said. The city can't pay to decorate private buildings, either.

"That needs to be the building owners' responsibility --that is just an expense the city can't bear any longer," Belisle said. "If you are spending any city money, it can't be spent on private property."

Helfman said the city already owns the wreaths, and they are put up by volunteers.

"That's OK, as long as it is not plugged into a city meter," Belisle said. "The city has gotten into this funny situation where for some places we are paying for the electricity, in others, we're not."

In some cases, the lights for several budlings will be plugged into one receptacle. Downs said she would end up paying for three stores' worth of lights on the electric bill for her downtown shop.

"It's always been a problem trying to segregate these out," said Helfman.

Councilman Maurice Grover said he would help with finding the right kind of timers to run the lights.

In other meeting business:

* A public hearing was held on the city's budget for 2010.

The council approved the first reading of the budget.

* The council approved certificates of appropriateness, with the conditions recommended by the Historic Preservation Commission, for 161 Bridge Street, 36 Broad Street and 83 Barnes Street.

* Don Rehman gave an update on the progress he has seen on the site-distance improvements at the Heritage Pointe entrance on Rockaway Road. One power poll was replaced with a taller poll, and some wires were transferred, Rehman said. Crews painted a new stop bar some 6 feet farther out than the previous one. "They still have to move the stop sign, which I hope will occur very soon," Rehman said.

"I think I will go to dancing school so that when all these things are done, I can come up here and do a little dance," he said.

Rehman said he also planned to take action regarding the city's issues with the Coweta County Library System. He said he would research the issue, make an evaluation and provide the city with a report.

"He who has no power may still turn the light on, by not trying to illuminate with the same useless switch," Rehman said.

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