Kathy Ford outlines lamp-post restoration plan; board moves to design informational panels

At its July 15 meeting, the Saranac Lake Arts & Culture Advisory Board heard special guest Kathy Ford present a plan to restore and repaint the village’s downtown lamp posts and to add informational panels.

Ford summarized previous work on the fixtures — painted in 2022 and retouched in 2023 — and said paint-color records are on file at Coakley’s. She described the planned restoration workflow: scraping loose paint, cleaning with a phosphate-free cleaner (TSP-PF), applying two coats of paint and scheduling touch-ups the following year. Ford noted that paint-permission processes with National Grid can take time and that Ampersound authorized the use of water for cleaning in at least one case.

The plan includes labor and equipment details mentioned during the discussion: about nine hours of work per pole for a full restoration, and roughly 20 minutes per pole for the following-year touch-ups. The board discussed procurement and logistics: identifying a painter and obtaining a quote, whether Coakley’s might donate paint, and confirming the precise cleaning and paint products.

Board members assigned follow-up tasks. Katrina reported she had already reached out to National Grid and expected a response the following week; the board also agreed to locate the file Kathy shared with Jaimie and to check whether a St Regis grant could help cover costs. Aaron said he would produce a vinyl-wrapped “ghost image” mockup for an informational panel and would forward design files to staff. Bayle will check QR-code services with the Village and clarify budget figures with Katrina; Alex will draft short blurbs to appear on each panel. The board discussed having a SLACAB representative onsite during installation.

Next steps recorded by the board include awaiting National Grid’s reply, securing a painter’s quote, confirming whether Coakley’s will supply paint, and moving forward on a panel design and installation plan. No formal vote or funding decision was recorded in the agenda notes.