Clintonville cuts power to some of its street lights

CLINTONVILLE - Clintonville's new approach to saving its residents money is keeping some of them in the dark. The city had to cut its budget by $357,000.

So leaders in the city of 4,559 people came up with the idea of turning off some street lights to save some money.

But some residents say there's a cost to that move: their safety. Clintonville's streets are darker than Carol Oesteich can ever remember. And she doesn't like it.

“I think it's a danger to the people that walk. I think it's bad for the children with sports and everything walking,” said Oestreich.

The street lights with black plastic over them are no longer lighting the roads. And it's worrying some residents

“What if there was a kid that was going down the street and there's no street light, so how is a car supposed to be able to see them?" said Cory Hanson.

The city no longer turns on 10 percent of its street lights, which equals 70 lights. City officials say they targeted lights in the middle of a block near other lights. 

City Administrator Lisa Kuss says the city needs to be as lean as possible with its budget, and this move will save about $7,000 a year. She also says the streets are still partially lit, and that safety is not being compromised.

“If you're in the immediate area of an affected light, it certainly is darker but we still have police officers out 24 hours a day, they're still patrolling areas,” said Kuss.

While some residents are still concerned, others say it's a non-issue.

“We don't notice it here. If they've been doing it, I haven't noticed it at all,” said Mike Forseth.

Whether residents mind the change or not, city officials say it's here to stay. And they have no intention of ever turning the lights back on.

The city says it doesn't plan on removing any more light bulbs from the street lights in the future.