Tackling Columbia's lighting woes isn't just about brightness

There has been considerable discussion about street lighting. The Columbia Daily Tribune had an editorial May 22 and a front-page article May 26. Al Germond gave his perspective on May 30 in the Columbia Business Times. Numerous residents have commented on the topic both verbally and in e-mail. Everyone seems to grab one or two pieces of information, add a belief and leap to whole bunch of conclusions. I would like to contribute to the public discussion by doing two things, putting the topic in the context of City Council considerations of the topic and exploring the various policy components. As with many policy issues, on the surface it appears simple but, when carefully analyzed, has many dimensions.