The University of Illinois Board of Trustees voted Thursday to approve the student-supported increase of the sustainability fee from $5 to $14.

The Student Sustainability Committee designates the funds collected from the fee to campus projects that either reduce the cost of energy consumption or increase energy efficiency. Its upcoming project is a wind turbine to be installed in south Urbana.

Alderman Diane Marlin suggested the money be allocated differently.

“I propose that a much more useful project would be to approach this fund and ask them to help pay for the lighting on campus,” Marlin said. “It directly benefits the students and staff in that area, and if we use the energy-efficient lighting, it would fulfill the mission of the sustainability fund and it would be a heck of a lot better expenditure in my opinion than a turbine on the hill in southeast Urbana.”

Marlin suggested this idea at the July 12 city council meeting in response to the discomfort alderman Brandon Bowersox felt over the high cost of the project.

Bowersox said he recognizes the need to replace lights in terms of the city’s liability and student’s safety, but does not think it is possible for Urbana alone to foot the bill.

“You walk by (a light) and it’s rusting at the bottom of the thing and it looks like it is going to fall on you and it’s not in good shape,” Bowersox said at the meeting.

The project has not been planned yet, as a project manager has not been assigned, but the city has $1.8 million projected for the replacement of streetlights in Campustown. This includes about $1 million from city funds, and the rest as projected income from Federal grants.

Doug Miller, projects coordinator of Urbana Public Works, said funding for street lights was not a problem in recent years because the University would help support the projects; however, the state of Illinois has not paid the University yet, so this money remains unavailable.

Morgan Johnston, the Transportation Demand Management Coordinator, thinks there could be advantages in the SSC electing to fund this project.

“It will decrease energy costs and therefore be more sustainable,” Johnston said, adding that there would be less light pollution and brighter, yet safe, light.

Johnston explained that there is no restriction on who can apply for use of the fund, so the City of Urbana could apply.

Suhail Barot, chair of the Student Sustainability Committee, does not think this is a project the SSC will choose to fund.

“It is dependent on whether or not we are actually paying for that energy,” Barot said.

Barot said the funds collected from the Student Sustainable Energy Fee are generally used for projects that benefit students on campus that go above projects that are already established.

Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing supported pursuing the idea by mentioning that the inventor of LED lights is a University alumnus.

“It would be really poetic to have the energy savings right there on campus,” Prussing said.