ATCT CTLR COMPLAINT ABOUT RWY EDGE LIGHTS BEING LEFT ON RWY 2-20 AFTER TWR IS CLOSED AND WHILE RWY IS NOTAMED CLOSED; WHICH IS CONTRARY TO FAA HANDBOOKS. RPTR SAYS FACILITY MGR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THIS PROB.

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ON OCT/FRI/96 AN AIR TFC NOTICE WAS ISSUED BY ERIE TWR (CHANGING THE SOP'S) MANDATING THE TURNING ON OF THE RWY 2/20 EDGE LIGHTS WHEN THE TWR WAS CLOSING FOR THE NIGHT. THE REQUEST CAME FROM THE ERIE MUNICIPAL ARPT AUTH BECAUSE A MISTAKE OCCURRED WHEN ELECTRICAL WIRING WAS PERFORMED ON THE PARALLEL TXWY FOR THE INST RWY (RWY 6/24); TXWY A. SOME OF THE SIGNS ON TXWY A WERE WIRED INTO THE RWY 2/20 WIRING SCHEME. WHEN THE RWY 2/20 EDGE LIGHTS WERE TURNED OFF SOME OF THE SIGNS FOR TXWY A WOULD NOT LIGHT. THIS DID NOT SEEM TO BE A PROB UNTIL RWY 2/20 BECAME NOTAMED CLOSED DUE TO STANDING SNOW ON THE RWY. CTLRS CLOSING THE TWR FOR THE NIGHT DID NOT TURN ON THE RWY 2/20 LIGHTS DUE TO FAA 7110.65J (PARAGRAPH 3-4-9.E) AND FAA 7210.3M (PARAGRAPHS 12-6-2.B AND 12-6-3.B). A MEMORANDUM WAS ISSUED ON NOV/MON/96 FROM THE ERIE AIR TFC MGR ADVISING THE TWR TO LEAVE THE RWY 2/20 LIGHTS ON EVEN IF A NOTAM CLOSING THAT RWY EXISTED. THE CONTENTION OF ERIE MUNICIPAL ARPT AUTH AND ERIE AIR TFC MGR WAS THAT IT WAS THE PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO ACQUIRE NOTAMS FOR AN ARPT. NO REGARD FOR OVERFLT ACFT NOT INTENDING TO LAND AT ERI (WHO WOULD NOT HAVE NOTAMS FOR ERI) WHO MAY ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTIES AND NEED TO LAND AT ERI AFTER THE TWR WAS CLOSED. THE RWY WAS LIT WITH NUMEROUS INCHES OF SNOW ON THE LNDG SURFACE. THIS CONTRADICTION TO THE 2 FAA MANUALS REGARDING THIS ACTION HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF THE AIR TFC MGR.