The area around Clark Street and the Washington Street bridge could soon become a bit brighter after a Thursday visit by South Ward Alderman Willis Thompson and a representative from Entergy Mississippi to examine street lights in the area.

“We were checking the street lights in the neighborhood around Clark Street, Patton, Patricia, Hanley, Security Street and Parkview, and looking for ways to make the lighting on those streets better,” Thompson said, adding the Entergy representative pointed out a problem with lighting on Washington Street at the bridge. “We’re going to put a light there and make it brighter and safer for motorists.”

Mayor George Flaggs Jr. put Thompson in charge of the city’s street lighting soon after taking office in 2013. The South Ward Alderman, Flaggs said, “is traditionally the alderman over the lights.”

Under an agreement with Entergy, the city pays the utility company, which owns, operates and maintains the street lights, a monthly surcharge that can run from $7.58 to $34.90 per light based on the wattage of the bulb and the type of light.

Part of Thompson’s duty is to make sure the lights stay on and provide sufficient illumination.

“Having good street lights makes neighborhoods safer, it can discourage crime,” he said. “If someone sees an area is well-lighted, they may think twice about breaking in a car. It also makes it better for motorists to drive.”

Thompson said Thursday’s tour was part of a routine he follows during the week.

“Every opportunity I get, I drive through the city during the day and in the evenings to look at the street lights,” he said. “I go through the South Ward three times a week checking lights and looking for other problems.”

He said many of the street lighting problems are reported by residents, adding when they call the city a report is filled out and forwarded to Entergy. “We try to work with residents and tell them how to properly report a light problem,” he said. “Sometimes it only requires going to higher watt bulbs.”

“We tell them where to look for the tag (on the utility pole) to identify it so Entergy will know where the problem is. It makes it easier to fix the problem when they don’t have to go looking for it.”

Entergy customer service representative Shelia McKinnis said the company receives the report about the light by email and a technician is assigned to fix the problem.

In situations where a neighborhood needs new lighting, Thompson said, the city files a report with Entergy officials who prepare a recommendation to repair the situation.

“We (the Board of Mayor and Aldermen) look at their recommendation and decide whether to do it and contact Entergy, which makes the changes,” he said, adding some neighborhoods, like the area around Signal Hill and Cairo Drive, have recently undergone improvements.

He said a similar plan will be prepared for the Clark Street neighborhoods.

“Entergy will make the recommendation,” he said. “They could recommend increasing the wattage of the lighting or new equipment, we won’t know until their work is done.”