ERVING — Streetlights in Erving Center that have long been malfunctioning were partially repaired during a recent survey of wiring, and might be totally repaired in a few more weeks, depending on the extent of the problems.
The lights on Main Street (Route 2) have been experiencing problems since last fall, according to Administrative Coordinator Bryan Smith. Some of the lights either don’t turn on at all, or don’t turn on at the right times.
An electrical engineering firm reviewed the lights last week, and was able to resolve some of the problems on the spot, Smith said.
“Many of the fixtures are back on and working, which is fantastic news,” Smith said.
But not everything is finished yet. The full scope of the repairs and the necessary budget for them won’t be determined until after the engineering firm submits its findings to the Selectboard.
So far, $40,000 was budgeted for the streetlight repairs at a Special Town Meeting in March. That money was not necessarily expected to cover the entire project, but to at least determine the scope of the problems.
Depending on the extent of the problems, the rest of the repairs might take only a few more weeks and still fit within the existing budget, or may require more funding through a future Town Meeting vote.
Smith said, based on conversations with the engineering firm, it seems likely that the problem is relatively small, and potentially can fit into the existing budget.
Each light fixture costs about $5,000, and there are 39 of them in all, Smith said. If any have to be totally replaced, more funding would likely have to be requested from Town Meeting voters, which Smith said probably wouldn’t happen until fall at the earliest.
Reach Max Marcus at mmarcus@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.