NILES CHARTER TOWNSHIP — This fall, Niles Charter Township residents could see their streetlight bulbs shine a bit brighter and much longer.

The township’s board approved a contract with Indiana Michigan Power, part of American Electric Power, to update the township’s streetlights from incandescent bulbs to LEDs during the fall.

Indiana Michigan Power is spending $4 million to replace its existing mercury vapor and sodium vapor streetlights per a state of Michigan request.

No cost is being passed onto the township and its taxpayers, including an immediate change in rate, said Jon Biek, customer service account representative.

“What’s the benefit to Niles? You get nice, crisp daylight-time LED streetlights for your constituents, for your law enforcement, for your businesses,” he said to the council. “We come in. We do the change. It will take us about four days to change every light in the township.”

All municipalities serviced by Indiana Michigan Power have the option to opt into the program. Of the 14 municipalities Biek has talked to, he said only one, St. Joseph, has not opted in. Instead, St. Joseph’s streetlights will be replaced with LED lights as they burn out.

Biek said the switch would save the company and township money.

LED lights take much longer to dim and burn out than traditional incandescent lights. Biek said that means the company would save money on the overtime and travel costs associated with light replacements.

The township would save money because LED lights transfer less energy than incandescent bulbs at the same luminosity. The township’s incandescent bulbs are 100 watts. Their future LED replacements are 41 watts.

By using less energy, fewer fossil fuels will be burned to produce the streetlights’ required electricity, making the bulbs a greener option than the streetlights’ current bulbs.

Despite savings, Indiana Michigan Power will not see an immediate return of investment. This is why the rate will remain the same for the time being, Biek said.

“If you’re paying us $5.40 a month for a 100-watt, high-pressure sodium street light, you will pay us $5.40 for an equivalent luminosity in an LED light,” he said.

Future costs could fluctuate, though.

“When I say your prices are not going to go up on those streetlights, it doesn’t mean that with the next increase, there’s not going to be an increase to the street lighting tariff,” he said. “It also doesn’t mean that with the next street light rate increase, those tariffs aren’t going to come down. We are seeing a significant benefit.”

Speaking personally and not on behalf of Indiana Michigan Power, Biek said he believes that the state will require the company to lower costs in the future due to its savings.

Aside from rate concerns, township trustees raised questions about the luminosity of the lights and how Indiana Michigan Power would go about installing them.

Biek said that the LED lights would be no more luminous than the current lights, but neighborhoods could become brighter. He said this is because incandescent bulbs dim quickly, and many township streetlights are likely dimmer than when first installed.

He also said that the new LED lights will not broadly light up an area thanks to the bulb’s placement in the streetlight. Instead, they will only light up what they are intended to light: sidewalks and streets.

As for installation, Biek said his company hires workers that move quickly from bulb to bulb. The crew will bring its own traffic control and protection.

“I’m a realist. I’m not going to try and make it nice and shiny,” he said. “The bottom line is, the LED changeout is a good thing. It is a good thing in terms of the quality of lighting. It’s a good thing in terms of luminosity. It’s a good thing in terms of aesthetics.”

The board appeared to agree. The members unanimously approved the contract.

After a bulb change contract was passed, board members then unanimously approved a rezoning. Two parcels at 1922 E. Main St. were rezoned from high residential to local business.

The change allows Michiana Christian Embassy, which is located on the parcels, to build a YMCA-partnered day care center on its property.

“We’ve had so much wonderful assistance and council from everybody just helping us be as expeditious as possible with getting things taken care of,” said Rev. Jeffrey Whittaker, senior pastor of the church.

Denise Peters, COO of YMCA of Michiana, said the goal is to move forward on the project no later than January 2020.