[Adopted 12-5-2023 by Ord. No. 23-06]
This article shall be known as the Lower Paxton Township Street Light Installation Ordinance.
It is the intent of this article to establish uniform and standard procedures through which the installation of new streetlights shall occur. It is the intent of this article to pertain only to those streetlights requested on publicly owned streets, through residents or property owners of the Township, not through any other process covered within the subdivision, building development, or other public works-initiated project. All references to street lighting in this article shall be defined as those that are privately requested – through procedures hereinafter – and newly installed beyond the scope of any other development or public works initiative.
A. 
Home or property owners may request the installation of a new streetlight on public streets through submission of an application and petition (on forms provided by the Township) to the Township Manager pursuant to the process as established herein.
B. 
The originating requestor shall submit a completed application as well as a petition signed by at least 70% of property owners within 250 feet - in all directions - of the desired street light location. Those individuals being petitioned must be made aware of potential financial assessments in the event such lighting is approved by the Township, as further defined in § 176-36, hereinafter.
C. 
Failure to obtain at least 70% of affirmative support as evidenced by signatories to a petition shall result in the automatic denial of any new street light request. In the event such a request is denied, the requestor may apply directly to PPL Electric Utilities for the installation of lighting, wherein the financial burden of doing so - costs associated with installation, ownership, maintenance, etc. - will be solely the responsibility of the requestor.
D. 
Petitions must be signed only by home or property owners, not tenants or other temporary residents/occupants.
E. 
For the purposes of efficiency and effectiveness, the Board of Supervisors hereby delegates the authority of collecting, reviewing, and approving/disapproving all applications as well as entering into contracts for the installation and operation of new streetlights to the Township Manager or his designee.
New streetlights installed utilizing the procedures as established herein, through owner-initiated request, shall be paid for by an assessment on all real property in proportion to the number of feet such real property fronts on the street or highway to be lighted, as follows:
A. 
For all real property not located at the intersection of two streets, abutting only one publicly lit street and within 250 feet of any newly installed public light fixture, all footage on the street side of the property shall be assessed.
B. 
For all corner properties abutting only one street with newly installed public lighting and within 250 feet of any such fixture, all feet on the lit side together with 1/2 of each curve radius on such lit street side.
C. 
For all corner properties abutting two streets with newly installed public lighting and within 250 feet of any such fixture, all feet on the longer side lit and 1/2 of each curve radius on such long side lit (longer side plus 1/2 of each curve radius on such shorter side lit [20% by shorter side] plus 1/2 of each curve radius).
D. 
For all corner properties abutting more than two streets with newly installed public lighting and within 250 feet of any such fixture, all feet on the longest side lit and 1/2 of each curve radius on such longest side lit (longer side plus 1/2 of each curve radius; plus 20% of the footage along all other sides lit and 1/2 of each curve radius appurtenant to such lit sides [20% other sides] plus 1/2 of each curve radius).
The monetary value per foot assessed shall be established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors and may be amended from time to time by resolution of same.
Assessments shall be done annually based on a calendar year basis as set forth in this section.
A. 
Initial assessments. The prevailing electric company shall notify the Township when it has completed the installation of privately requested public lighting. Thereafter, the Township shall calculate the assessment for each property subject to assessment and send such initial assessments to the owners of the subject properties. The Township shall prorate the initial assessment on a per diem basis following the date construction of the new lighting is complete.
B. 
Subsequent assessments. Thereafter, all annual assessments shall be filed with and billed by the Lower Paxton Township Tax Collector on the annual real estate tax bill for general Township purposes. The Township Tax Collector shall be entitled to the same commission on such lighting assessments as all other Township taxes. The Tax Collector shall give 30 days' notice that the assessments are due and payable. The notice shall state the due date to each party assessed and be served by mailing notice to the owner of the subject property.
If any assessment remains unpaid 90 days after the due date, it shall be turned over to the Township Solicitor for collection means of a civil action for recovery or a municipal lien filed against the property of the delinquent owner for the amount of the unpaid assessment, plus interest from the date the assessment was due.
Any ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.