Many of us are familiar with the expression “Saved in the nick of time.”
This expression generally refers to the fact that important information has been discovered, although at the last minute, but still in a time period where it can be helpful and prevent what otherwise would have been a disaster. On Wednesday, July 5, I walked into the Village of Great Neck (VGN) with an Agenda Request in order to present newly discovered information that could protect our community from an undesirable outcome with respect to the upcoming LED installation.
Great Neck residents, doesn’t it bother you that our village’s hired consultants, Real Term Energy Consultants, and their 176 total municipality jobs—with a heavy concentration in Ottawa, Canada—starkly contrast with Montreal, currently taking a stand and abandoning an enormous LED project due to residents’ angry protests? This project in Montreal was for the same 4,000K LED lights that our Village of Great Neck is welcoming to our main thoroughfares. The headline in Lux Magazine on January 20, 2017, reads: “132,000 lights @4,000K were to be installed in Montreal and have since been dropped due to resident protest.”
Great Neck residents, doesn’t it bother you that New York, Montreal and major North American cities are walking away from 4,000K altogether? Never mind the colors and subtleties—communities are walking away from 4,000K. Yet, Mayor Bral is welcoming this level of lighting to our community in the name of safer streets. Since when do we have a crime-ridden community?
Doesn’t it bother you that the industry specific publication I presented, authored by a Canadian engineer (PE) whose expertise is in the very same area in Canada where our hired consultants installed the same 4,000K LED lights—describes the malfunctions and failures of four key LED components? This includes the basic LED on-off switch.
Doesn’t it bother you that a local GN engineer, who I asked to critique the same article for credibility, inquired if VGN has a cost analysis in place for future maintenance costs of the LED Driver—because it will fail—as it fails elsewhere? I’m sure we do not.
Doesn’t it bother you that the article I presented talks about the complexity of LED wiring (to key components) and that electricians nation-wide find themselves (already) in challenging, difficult installation positions which result in angry customers? These customers take out their anger on the installers.
Doesn’t it bother you that our village has not factored in professional, uniquely qualified installation costs—and installers—to get beyond the above stated dilemma?
Doesn’t it bother you that 4,000K needlessly surpasses the human safety threshold established by American Medical Association (AMA)?
If even two VGN residents cannot tolerate the small sample of four LED lights hung near Village Hall, it goes without saying, there will be many more residents who will find these same lights too glaring, too bright and unacceptable. Shockingly, there is a bare bulb, on display there, I believe. This is strictly forbidden by the AMA for human safety reasons.
Great Neck residents, we have a narrow window of opportunity to insist that VGN Mayor Bral rebid the lighting contract (prior to contract signing next week). The new specifications (for lighting thresholds) should reflect those lower wattages that residents nationwide are currently finding more acceptable and satisfactory. The AMA regards lower lighting thresholds as safer for human health.
2,700K represents the new number that satisfies previously unsatisfied residents nationwide. We should follow, stall and do whatever we can because, ultimately, VGN residents pay the price. We reside here.
—Judy Shore Rosenthal
