HUMBOLDT — Humboldt council approved a motion to apply for a federal grant, which if approved, Humboldt’s mayor, Michael Behiel, said would advance their Highway 5 corridor streetlight project by years.
The project is to remove the 20 streetlights along the Highway 5 corridor, replacing them with 80 LED variants which would run from 17th Street until 1st Street.
“It would create further economic savings as well because of their efficiency with lighting and basically take a load off the tax-payers responsibilities and the city’s responsibility financially,” Behiel said.
He said the project, which has not yet been brought to council, is estimated to begin in three to five years without approval. If approved, he expects it may be in place as early as spring.
“SaskPower has indicated to us that if we say, “Yes” they could be on the ground and working, however even if the approval comes by September we’re getting too late in the winter to start. So if it’s approved, we would have it in place for the start of spring.”
The Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) is a grant from the federal government which aims to help communities across Canada build and improve community infrastructure projects so they can rebound from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. If approved, the grant would cover up to 75 per cent of the cost of the project.
Approval was given by council to apply at a July 19 special council meeting.
