An editorial by David Farmer that appeared in the Sun Journal on Oct. 31 took the Farmington Board of Selectmen to task for allegedly risking public safety by not pursuing the replacement of malfunctioning, decorative streetlights in downtown Farmington. The truth is, the selectmen took swift action when the problem was brought to their attention.

At a meeting on Sept. 9, the town manager informed the selectmen of problems with the streetlights, including the fact that some people and animals had received shocks from them. The selectmen directed the manager to proceed with immediate repairs to make the lights safe. They also asked the manager to research options and costs of future replacement or upgrade of the lights if found necessary.

An electrical contractor was immediately authorized to make all repairs necessary to ensure the safety of the lights. The contractor recommended that corroded ground lugs be replaced because “proper grounding of the fixtures is necessary for safety, but does not guarantee that no hazard exists.” By Oct. 3, the grounding work was finished. Although there were two lights that were still not working, they presented no hazard simply because they were not energized.

Taking seriously their obligation to protect both public safety and the taxpayers’ pocketbooks, the selectmen had the lights repaired rather than replaced at much greater cost. The selectmen’s Oct. 28 decision not to replace the lights is a prudent one, since the critical repairs have been made and the lights are now safe.

Richard P. Davis, town manager, Farmington