Dunkirk has had some streetlight problems recently, but city officials say the issue is getting addressed.

First Ward Common Councilwoman Natalie Luczkowiak asked about streetlights at the most recent council meeting, seeking more information from Department of Public Works officials.

“Would you kindly address the issue of missing lights, its repairs and replacements, new poles versus old poles, in the First Ward, on streets near Wright Park such as Serval? Citizens have been reaching out,” she said.

DPW Deputy Director Mike Przybycien responded, “The streetlights that are out are going to be addressed here directly. We’re waiting on a few arms, and a few other logistics with disconnects and that. The company’s coming in … to have a premeeting and then we’re going to get working on disconnects and moving streetlights and replacing streetlights that were damaged during storms and that. So in the next, you know, little bit here, everything should be taken care of.”

Przybycien also spoke about National Grid’s ongoing change of streetlights to light-emittimg diodes, or LEDs. They have a distinctive bright-white look, as opposed to the yellowish light emitted by traditional streetlight bulbs.

“This part of the project, to complete the LED upgrade in the city, they had to have disconnects of the streetlights, so that’s commencing,” he said. “And while those guys are here doing that, we’re gonna have them replace and move lights that need to be moved and replaced. Then moving forward, we have a plan in place to fix them on an as needed basis.”

Common Councilman Marty Bamonto asked about lighting on Central Avenue near the Chautauqua County Fairgrounds. Przybycien responded that equipment should be available to fix that “pretty soon.”

Mayor Wilfred Rosas told the OBSERVER, “there’s no real issues” with city streetlights overall.

“We do have a couple areas that we’ve had accidents. We’ve got material on order, and that was the holdup,” he said. “We are in the process of buying a stockpile of streetlights so when accidents can happen, we can fix them quickly.”

Rosas added, “I want all the lights fixed as soon as possible.”

Nancy Nichols, chair of the Common Council’s DPW committee, did not return calls seeking comment on the lighting issue.