by James Coulter
Additional street lights will be installed in the northern portion of the Inwood area now that county commissioners have approved the Master Inwood Street Lighting Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU) and Tentative Rate Resolution.
At their regular meeting on Tues. July 1, the Polk County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance for an MSBU and a tentative rate resolution to facilitate the installation of street lighting in the Inwood area.
Over the past four years, street lights have been installed by the county in the Inwood area. Street lighting was installed in the southwest portion in 2021, and then in the central portion in 2023. Now, the northern portion is expected to receive street lighting.
To facilitate funding for the street lighting installation, the County has considered the “consolidation of the area under a single assessment rate” that will “make assessment collection more affordable while bringing the rate down for the property owners,” wrote Noah Milov, Assistant County Attorney.
“Because the areas paid different Capital Rates when the streetlights were installed, affected property owners will initially pay different annual assessment rates until the installation and other capital costs have been paid off in the next 5 years,” Milov wrote.
“Therefore, the County seeks to consolidate the already existing Inwood areas that have streetlights installed, Southwest and Central, while including the northern area to have streetlights installed into a single Master Inwood Area,” he further elaborated.
Per a county ordinance, Polk County Commissioners are required to “adopt a Tentative Rate Resolution each year establishing tentative rates for the Master Inwood Street Lighting MSBU for the upcoming fiscal year.”
County Manager Bill Beasley commented that the street lighting project was an example of the BoCC listening to concerns from residents and acting accordingly.
“This is what they [Inwood residents] asked us to do,” he said. “This is a great example of us listening to the public. That is what they wanted us to do, and we have the means to do it.”
