Request for Street Lights

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Report an inoperable or malfunctioning street light

Report an inoperable or malfunctioning street light through FPL's Lighting Trouble webpage.

How to request a personal security light on your property

Residents of public residential streets in the City of Port St. Lucie can request a personal outdoor security light on their property by contacting Florida Power & Light (FPL). FPL will arrange for the installation of a light fixture on a wooden pole near the end of your driveway. The cost for this service will be added to your monthly FPL bill. To make a request or inquire about current rates, please contact FPL at 772-462-0555.

If you choose to install an outdoor light through FPL, and your area later approves a Street Lighting Boundary Assessment through a ballot election, you have the option to discontinue the FPL light service. If you decide to keep the FPL light, you will continue to pay the monthly fee in addition to any yearly assessment for street lighting.

How to request residential street lighting

The City Clerk's Office processes requests for residential street lighting boundary areas under City Code Chapter 161. The annual fee for street lighting is added to property tax bills, with the 2024 City Council-approved rate set at $26.

Step 1: To request street lights on a public residential street in Port St. Lucie, property owners must submit a Request for Streetlights Form

Once a request is submitted, the property owner’s information is verified using the Property Appraiser’s website. The City’s Public Works Department then creates a proposed lighting map, spacing lights evenly (typically every four lots) and utilizing existing poles to minimize costs.

Step 2: The property owner will receive a preliminary map, explanation letter, and a petition to gather signatures from at least 25% of affected property owners. Once the petition is completed and submitted before March 1st, the request can proceed to the ballot.

Step 3: Ballots are sent to all property owners in the proposed assessment area, with a simple majority (50% plus 1) needed for approval. In the case of a tie, the request fails. Successful elections are presented to City Council for approval, and approved lighting areas are added to the November tax roll.

Step 4: Florida Power & Light installs the street lights from October to December. The annual street lighting fee of $26 is included on the tax bill for all property owners within the approved area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can anyone request street lights?
No, only the property owner of record can request street lights for that street.

Do owners of vacant or undeveloped properties get to vote?
Yes, all property owners are mailed a ballot to cast their vote.

There are 20 lots on my street, does that mean I need 11 yes votes to win?
Not necessarily. The election results are counted based on the number of ballots returned. If only 12 ballots are returned, 7 in favor and 5 against, the election is successful. If 12 ballots are returned, 6 in favor and 6 against, the election fails.

Who decides the placement of the lights?
The city's Public Works Department proposes the lighting layout map using as even a spacing as possible to provide equal benefit, usually every four lots, using existing poles, transformers & outdoor lights where possible. Florida Power & Light has the final say when they begin installation.

What if the power poles are located at rear of my property?
A new pole must be installed at the front of the property along the road to allow for the streetlight to be installed. The power supply will be taken from the back of the property to the front. Normally FPL will run wires in between two lots/properties in order to accomplish this.

Who is responsible to trim or remove trees?
If there are trees needing to be trimmed to facilitate the installation of the new streetlight, FPL will contact the Public Works Department who will then contact a licensed and insured arborist to trim the necessary branches/trees.

The street light was not placed where it was shown on the map. Why not?
FPL has final authorization for the placement of the proposed lights. If they determine a different location for the streetlight they will relocate the proposed light. FPL is not required to ask or even advise the city of said relocation. This does not happen often but does happen periodically. FPL always has the final say on light placement.

The newly installed light shines directly into my window. What can be done to redirect the light?
The resident can contact FPL and request they come out and block the light from shining into their home. In previous instances, FPL has gone out and either put up a barrier/shield or painted the section of the light shining into the home black so that it still lights up the street but not the home.

Streetlight fixture general information

  • Open bottom clear fixture
  • 150 Watt bulb
  • +-20 feet up
  • 6ft or 8ft arm

Underground electrical service

Periodically a request is received for a street that currently has the electrical service underground. In these instances, the same rules apply except instead of FPL poles, above ground transformer boxes located in the swale area are utilized. Underground electrical service is only utilized when that type of service is already in place.

Contact

If you have any further questions or need additional information about street light requests, please contact the City Clerk's Office at 772-871-5157.