City council considers lighting options

WILLIAMSBURG — The Williamsburg City Council will discuss replacing lights at city softball fields during its next meeting, Oct. 13.

Eddie Sobczak asked the Williamsburg City Council Sept. 8 how to go about lighting the softball fields. Sobczak started a city softball league, but 15 lights at the field were burned out, he said.

Sobczak raised money to replace the bulbs, and the city changed them, but that didn’t solve the problem.

Nuemiller Electric told City Manager Aaron Sandersfeld that the city should replace the lights rather then bulbs because the ballasts were probably bad, Sandersfeld said.

Nichole Winegarden, director of the Williamsburg Community Recreation Center, said the lights are also used for flag football and will be needed next fall and summer.

The lights are about 30 years old, said Winegarden. They were moved to the new fields from the old ones. The new lights should last another 30 years, she said.

During the Sept. 22 council meeting, Sandersfeld produced a quote from Crescent Electric for $13,000 for Crescent sent an alternate quote for sports lighting for $15,860.

“We have to take the old units down,” said Sandersfeld, and the city will have to put the new ones up, but he has someone who will wire them for free.

Councilman Jeff Steinkamp wondered if the city needs all 52 lights if the LEDs are brighter. Perhaps the city could buy fewer, he said.

Councilman Jake Tornholm suggested the council ask that question and decide what to purchase during its next meeting. Council members will also look into what “sports lighting” is and whether the city needs it.

Sandersfeld is checking with Alliant Energy to see if a rebate is available, he said.

In addition to deciding how much to spend, the council will have to decide which city fund the money is coming from.