The Town of Summerdale decided at its council work session Tuesday night to get quotes to retrofit the town’s municipal complex with new LED technology, which will outlast the lighting fixtures currently in place and save the town money in decades to come.

Bravo Zulu, a technology company specializing in communications and monitoring technology gave a presentation to the town council on Tuesday. The presentation detailed the benefits LED light technology could have for Summerdale, and ways the technology could be implemented throughout the town.

One of the main benefits of this company’s LED technology is an included sensor system, which detects motion to turn the lights on when cars or people are nearby and dims the lights, using less power when no one is nearby.

All the council members were impressed by the presentation and eager to see the technology in action locally. Bravo Zulu’s owner Ronald Peaslee told the council he would be happy to set up some of his LED lights to prove to the council his products work and will reduce the energy bill.

Peaslee also pitched other technologies to the council, including GPS tracking of officers and other potential uses of his company’s technology for first responders.

Peaslee claimed the life expectancy of his LED lights would reach twenty years, with a guaranteed warranty of ten years. He also told the council the LED lights would provide the same lighting for a fraction of the cost. Depending on the electricity cost, Peaslee believes LED lights could save the town 50 percent of current energy bills and knock maintenance costs down to almost nothing because the bulbs will not need to be replaced for at least a decade.

After the presentation, Summerdale Mayor David Wilson asked for the council’s permission to allow Bravo Zulu to send an LED specialist to give the town a quote for retrofitting the municipal center with the new economical light fixtures. According to Wilson, when the municipal center was still in planning stages the town considered cheaper and greener energy alternatives, but none were put in place.

“I thought this was extremely interesting to me when I first started seeing concept of this because out interest when we bought this building was ‘how can we afford to pay the utility bill and we are a small town,’” said Wilson.

“We might as well if we can afford it, and how can we afford not to, maybe?”

The town also added a request from James Hendrix for permission to use a stretch of asphalt near the baseball park in Summerdale to practice stunt driving his motorcycle. Hendrix presented the town with insurance certificates, which take all liability away from the town and hold Hendrix responsible for any property damage to town property. The town council added Hendrix’s request to the agenda for next week’s meeting.

“We are making an effort to try to save as many trees as possible,” said the engineer, “Especially the “heritage” older trees.”

The town also discussed property near the old Tobacco Warehouse, which is owned by a Mr. Street. The town is currently in negotiations to acquire Street’s property and condemn it so it can be sold. According to Wilson, the property is dilapidated and needs to be condemned. The town sought legal counsel to deal with the property acquisition. The town will be required to pay fair market value for the property, which was appraised at $11,250. The property owner was informed of the offer and decided not to sell, but told the lawyer that he wouldn’t take any less than $20,000. If an agreement couldn’t be reached between Street and the town the matter would have to be taken up in court. Due to court costs, the town has decided to make an offer of $18,000.

The town also discussed pending legal actions with the town’s lawyer.

Public Works director asked to add a possible purchase of supplies needed for maintenance to the agenda.

The council also discussed a rule voted into place last year, which has not been implemented yet. The council voted last year to stop letting most town employees take vehicles owned by the town home each night. The ban on take home cars was to go into effect at the beginning of 2011, but after further debate at Monday’s meeting the council agreed further discussion was needed.

Councilman Ralph Clopton felt further consideration needed to be given to the ban so town employees, mainly police officers, would have enough time to make alternate transportation arrangements. Clopton was not present at council meetings where the ban was discussed because of illness.

Police Chief Dwain Riebeling told the council if his officers were no longer allowed to take their cars home, most would have to buy a vehicle, which he fears will put a hardship on most of them.

“Some of them can’t afford to. Some are barely scraping by now,” he told the council.

The town council decided at a previous meeting to put the ban in place to save the town gas money and maintenance fees. The town calculated an anticipated savings of $1,000 a month if the vehicles remained parked while the employee is not working.

Clopton was not certain the new rule was necessary.

“Why do you think this $1,000 a month is going to cure anything? We don’t need to do that just because someone wants to do it. we need to really, really, really look at the costs.” he asked the rest of the council.

Mayor David Wilson agreed the matter needed further consideration and will speak with Police Chief Dwain Riebeling before next week’s council meeting to discuss potential hardships the loss of take home cars will have on the police officers.

The town council will discuss the matter again at a council meeting Monday at 6:30 p.m.

“We will have to have a council vote to overturn the decision to take the cars away,” said Wilson, but the town council wants to make sure the best action is taken for the town and the town’s employees.