County commissioners will be getting new desk lamps, but they will not cost $3,278.81 as originally anticipated. Nine lamps costing between $35 and $125 each will be purchased, and Commissioner Jim Johnson will be paying for his own.
Some time ago, Commissioner Fritz Sobanja requested that the county replace the compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) recessed into the ceiling above the commissioners’ desks. Because of their two-pronged design, however, they cannot be replaced with regular incandescent bulbs. The front of the commissioners’ room in the courthouse has seating for nine, and this is where the five county board members sit when they meet, along with the county auditor-treasurer and the county attorney when they attend the meetings.
Sobanja has said that fluorescent lights, including the new energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), affect him very negatively. He told the board on August 30 that he had to go on medication several years ago because of the effect the lights were having on him, and this treatment cost the county $1,000 a year. The medication caused detrimental side effects, he said in a separate interview, and he is off it now but is left with symptoms from the lights, including light sensitivity, headaches, and agitation.
According to a 2009 Prevention magazine article, epidemiologist Sam Milham, MD, has been investigating the potential hazards of electromagnetic fields for the past 30 years. The article states that electrical appliances and devices, power lines, home wiring, and communication devices including radio, TV, WiFi transmitters, and cell phones all emit radiation that Milham believes can be highly detrimental to human health. Certain energy-efficient electronics including computers, refrigerators, plasma TVs and CFLs create electrical byproducts some call “dirty electricity” and are believed to create a fluctuating and potentially dangerous electromagnetic field that can cause health problems ranging from dizziness and fatigue to cancer.
The commissioners agreed to stop using the overhead lights during county board meetings but needed an alternative source of light so they could read the materials in front of them. They decided to have Maintenance Director Brian Silence look into ordering desk lamps for all nine seats and have them mounted at each spot. He did, and the cost was $3,278.81.
In a discussion on the 2012 budget at the August 30 meeting, Commissioner Jim Johnson said, “I think we’ve got to be careful if we’ve got to spend $3,000 on lights – the symbolism of that didn’t play out well in the community.”
The commissioners decided to look at cheaper alternatives, which Commissioner Bruce Martinson presented to them They chose a range of alternative goose-neck LED lamps that do not require mounting but can sit in front of them They passed a motion to have Silence look over the choices they gave him and make a recommendation on which model to purchase.
Commissioner Johnson said he would either pay for his own lamp or reimburse the county for the one that will be at his seat.
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