City purchases three new outdoor storm sirens

Visitors to Holton Community Hospital and Prairie Lake will be alerted by a storm siren when threatening weather approaches, while storm siren coverage in the city will be more thorough, thanks to action by the Holton City Commission.

During their regular meeting on Monday, commissioners approved the purchase of three new outdoor storm warning sirens from Outdoor Warning Consulting L.L.C. of Jefferson City, Mo., at a cost of $38,382. The purchase of the new sirens will come from the electrical distribution department’s capital outlay fund, Holton City Manager Bret Bauer told commissioners.

The city currently has eight outdoor storm sirens in place, Bauer told commissioners, but there are “gaps in our sound coverage” and no sirens in place in the Holton Community Hospital/Industrial Park area or at Prairie Lake. Furthermore, he said, the older sirens involve motors that “are to the point where we cannot get parts for them anymore.”

With the purchase of three new omnidirectional sirens, the city can eliminate those gaps and move the two newest sirens currently in place to the hospital/industrial park area and to Prairie Lake. Holton Electrical Distribution Superintendent Scott Frederickson said he would locate poles for the placement of sirens at those two locations.

Another bid of $34,500 for three storm sirens was received from Storm Sirens Inc. of Norman, Okla., commissioners noted. However, Bauer recommended Outdoor Warning’s bid over Storm Sirens’ bid because the sirens in the former bid had a greater sound radius and no moving parts, which meant that “you’re effectively eliminating a potential maintenance nightmare in the future.”

Also on Monday, commissioners:

* Approved minutes from their May 16 meeting and budget appropriations made since that meeting.

* Heard budget requests for 2017 from Frederickson, Water and Wastewater Superintendent Dennis Ashcraft and Electrical Production Superintendent Ira Harrison (see related story).

* Approved a pair of neighborhood block party requests, one for the 400 block of Ohio Avenue from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 and one for the 100 block of Karen Drive from 8 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, July 2. Barricades will be placed at each end of both blocks at the appointed times, Bauer said.

* Heard a concern from Bauer about excess water creating a possible traffic hazard on the north end of the loop around Elkhorn Lake near the lake’s spillway. He said he would meet with Holton Street Superintendent Rex Cameron to discuss the matter, which eventually resulted in closing the north end of the loop to traffic until the water damage is repaired (see related story).

* Heard a suggestion from Commissioner Tim Morris on moving the electronic speed limit sign near Central Elementary School to the intersection of Fourth Street and Colorado Avenue. Commissioners noted that moving the sign would have to be approved by the Kansas Department of Transportation.

* Met in executive session for 20 minutes with Bauer to discuss matters related to non-elected personnel. No action resulted from the session.

* Adjourned the meeting at approximately 8:10 p.m. All commissioners were present, including Morris, Dan Brenner, Mike Meerpohl, Twila White and Mayor Robert Dieckmann.