If a property owner needs to report that a light is damaged, dim or completely out, they should call 501/516-0041 and email stcharleslid@gmail.com to report it.  It is requested that they leave their name, phone number, the address of the light and the light number (on the base of the light).  They will not receive a call back unless they specifically request one, or if we need additional information. 
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Page last updated  2/10/26

St. Charles Municipal Lighting Improvement District was created for the purpose of installing and maintaining street lights in our neighborhood. The District, while made up of St. Charles residents, is a separate entity from the St. Charles Community Association.

Commissioners include: Heather Starnes, Chris Ahne and Mike McClellan.

Any comments or questions regarding solar lights may be directed to the Lighting Improvement District's contact number at 501/516-0041 or emailed to stcharleslid@gmail.com

Lighting Improvement District Historic Data

The Lighting Improvement District operates and is funded separately from the St. Charles Community Association. The following is a timeline of the history and status of the St. Charles Lighting Improvement District.

1986Neighborhood developed by Winrock originally without lights.
1998St. Charles neighborhood elected to install gas lights through a petition to tax. Funding for construction and installation was established through
                bond issue. Little allowance was set aside for maintenance.
1999 Implementation of gas light plan. For several reasons this decision was made, although the neighborhood is likely the only one in Arkansas to utilize
                high pressure natural gas for lighting. The natural gas mains run beneath the street and in front of most homes, making access to the source of
                energy very cost-effective.
2001 Lighting installation was complete.
2003 Arkla/Centerpoint exited the maintenance business requiring St. Charles to take over maintenance.
2004 It was discovered that LID was to have a commission. Neighborhood leader passed away and much of the knowledge and information became
                displaced.
2005        First commissioners were selected. New commission gathered data to understand the lighting situation.
- Maintenance contractor was engaged on a   regular basis.
- Hurricane Katrina struck in August. Hurricane  Rita struck in September. Both contributing to a quick spike in natural gas prices.
- A significant amount of deferred maintenance became apparent as lights started failing regularly.
2006      Commission discovers current cash flow from the bond issue did not provide adequate funds for maintenance and energy expense.
-  Borrowed from the POA to pay bills.
-  Opened a line of credit to pay back the POA and pay bills.
- Held two public meetings communicating to the neighborhood.
- Significant support for keeping the lights on.
- Began the proceedings to increase the annual assessment.
- First regular maintenance schedule put in place  with a tracking process.
2007Increased assessment is approved in February. Average increase is $12/mo per resident.
2008Solar demo light installed May 1, 2008. Cellular call number (501-786-1543) established.
2009Brenda CarlLee assumes maintenance coordinator role.
2010Maintenance current. Gas prices decline. Solar demo light functioning well.
2018        Irrepairable gas lights are being replaced with solar lights.
2019        All gas lights replaced with solar lights
2025        Brighter solar light heads installed

2025 Annual Report to the Saint Charles POA
By the St. Charles Lighting Improvement District; February 1, 2026


This report, intended to supplement the Commissions’ regular presentation at the St. Charles POA annual meeting, is an updated and summary of activity from the 2025 year.

Our Mission: Ensure the effective construction, operation, and maintenance of street lighting systems throughout the Saint Charles Neighborhood. 

1.The commission members serving are:
a.Heather Hendrix Starnes joined the commission April 3, 2019.
b.Chris Ahne joined the commission on March 19, 2024; and 
c.Mike McClellan joined the commission in January of 2005.  

2.Each year the commission files an annual transparency report in compliance with Arkansas law. Wright, Lindsey, and Jennings will again assist with filing for the LID by mid-February.

3.We will continue utilizing the professional services of Improvement Districts, Inc.; the accounting services of Jason Stoyanov, CPA; and legal services from Wright, Lindsey, and Jennings.

4.The LID maintains all funds with First Security Bank.  

5.As expected, the LID received income of slightly less than $20,000 from Pulaski County tax assessments, a result of the reduction in the assessment amount that was implemented in 2018. As of this report, there currently are zero (0) delinquencies of tax payments.  

6.With minimal expenses, including, but not limited to, battery charging, tree trimming, storage rental, legal, and financial, we spent a little more than $17,000 vs approximately $80,000 PY with the capital solar upgrades.  
Compare to an average of $75,000 annual Natural Gas expenditure. Natural gas savings are roughly $30,000-$45,000 annually.  

7.Expense in 2024 was largely from purchasing new lights and phasing out the first generation of solar lights. In 2025, expense was installation of the lights purchased in 2024. Other operating expenses were approximately $5,000. The Commission expects to continue replacing the remaining 1st generation solar fixtures in 2026. We are in process of reprogramming the lights that were installed in 2025 to optimize light production in the winter months.

8.The full retrofit project completed in 2019 is saving residents approximately $75,000 per year and full payback for the project that occurred in the summer of 2021.

9.As a reminder, we work with Walter McSpadden of Wright, Lindsey, and Jennings for legal services. In February of 2019, the paperwork was finalized reducing the 2019 tax assessment for each parcel in the neighborhood. The new assessment was set to generate approximately $20,000 per year from the residents, a significant decrease from $160,000 annually. The average homeowner assessment dropped from $225 to less than $30.

10.The LID Hot Line for reaching a commissioner or reporting maintenance needs is via a dedicated email address at stcharleslid@gmail.com . Heather offers her phone as a contact point as well, 501-516-0041.

11.The environmental impact of the solar lighting conversion is the elimination of 724,605 pounds per year of CO2, which is the equivalent of planting 456 mature trees per month in the city.  


QUESTIONS:

1.Q. How long will the lights take to charge?  
A. It takes approximately 9 hours of direct sunlight to fully charge the battery.

2.Q. How long will the charge last?
A. Approximately 12 hours. The new algorithm is going to extend this period during winter months.

3.Q. How long will the fixtures last?
A. The expected life of a lamp is roughly 50,000 hours or approximately 12 years.

4.Q. I’ve noticed there is not a glass lens in the solar light, is that to be expected?
A. Yes, the fixtures selected do not have glass lenses. Much of the maintenance issue with the gaslights is that the glass panes would break, creating an issue with the fixture.  

5.Q. What happens when commissioners retire from the Lighting Improvement District?
A. We have been archiving a comprehensive amount of data for the next generation of commissioners to access and add to.