City Council on April 17, 2023 – Speed Bumps, Solar Panels, And Outdoor Lighting

Speed Bumps Requested For The 5200 Block of Cedar

A public hearing before the City Council is scheduled for Monday, May 15, 2023, at 6:00 p.m., on a petition from 80% of the property owners along the 5200 block of Cedar Street for the installation of traffic control devices (speed humps) on said block.  Find the Notice here.

Workshop: Installation of  a Rooftop Solar Energy System on City Hall
Submitted by Sharon Citino, City Manager; presented by Rajiv Pandya, Environmental Sustainability Board Member.

Watch the Council Meeting here –The Workshop portion of the meeting begins about 1:11 into the video.     Find the PDF of the proposal here

Per this proposal the cost for solar panel installation on the roofs of City Hall and the adjoining Civic Center is approximately $250,000.  There are numerous charts and spreadsheets.   

Financing is based on a Federal Investment Tax Credit, Shell Energy grants, CenterPoint programs, and approximately $103,000 paid by the City.

Current cost for 12 months of electric service to City Hall is $33,000.  Installation of a solar panel system is estimated to save about half that cost annually, $16,697.  In addition, for the first 5 years a Shell Energy grant would pay $10,000 per year to the City of Bellaire.  There are various payback-on-investment figures, tied to inflation.    

Members of Council asked some great questions about the project – condition of the roof, life span and durability of panels, air flow around the HVAC equipment on the roof, and more.  

Lighting Ordinance Discussion

It’s worth your time to listen to this discussion, too.  Light pollution?  Security?  Where do you stand on lights in front and back yards, and sometimes in neighbors’ windows?  What’s too bright?

Please email comments, concerns, or questions to the Mayor and members of City Council via our City Clerk, Tracy Dutton, at tdutton@bellairetx.gov and request that your email be forwarded to the Mayor and Council.