After passing from the Senate Government
Operations Committee Tuesday, a package of legislation to create a lighting
authority in the City of Detroit and 40 other municipalities failed to move off
the Senate floor Thursday. Senate Majority Floor Leader Arlan Meekhof (R-West
Olive) moved to pass the three bills for the day, meaning the measures will not
be passed until at least July 18th when the Senate returns to town.
House
Bill 5688, sponsored by Representative Maureen Stapleton (D-Detroit),
provides cities with the authority to create lighting authorities to operate
and manage the systems. The package also allows for the City of Detroit,
especially affected by the legislation as an estimated 60 percent of the City’s
street lights are currently out, to bond for up to $12.5 million in order to
begin projects.
At the onset of debate, Senate Majority
Leader Randy Richardville (R-Monroe) won an amendment to increase the size of
the authority in cities of greater than 600,000 people. The original version of
the legislation created a five member board, with all members appointed by the
governing body of the local government, all five residents of the community,
and including an accountant, and engineer and a lawyer. The three additional
members added by the amendment would be appointed by the Governor, the Speaker
of the House. and the Senate Majority Leader.