Council reviews three options to replace White House welcome sign, asks for renderings

The White House City Council reviewed three vendor proposals for replacing the city's welcome sign and asked staff to return with renderings and a material sample for a metal option that would echo the city's historic sign.

Project manager Martinez presented three bids: option 1, an expanded-polystyrene (high-density foam) sign to hang from the existing pole using current lighting (proposal $15,005.75); option 2, an internally LED-lit aluminum cabinet with polycarbonate face and vinyl graphics (proposal $20,004–$20,427); and option 3, a custom double-sided 12–14 gauge metal sign with acrylic and internal LEDs manufactured by a local metalworker (proposal $9,075).

Council members expressed a clear preference for option 3, citing its look and the opportunity to recreate the style of the old sign. "If we changed it and nobody noticed, but it still was here after the world ended, I mean, that's basically what that metal sign is going to be," one council member said. Another member asked for a sample of the metal finish and requested renderings that reproduce the old sign's lettering and style.

Staff noted that the foam and polycarbonate options are designed for outdoor use and that lead times and design details (colors, fonts, lighting placement) remain adjustable. The polycarbonate cabinet would sit on the existing pad and would be internally lit; the metal option could include acrylic insets with LEDs or external illumination depending on the chosen design.

Council did not take a formal vote on the sign during the meeting but directed staff to obtain renderings and a material/sample mock-up for the metal option and to return with those materials at a future council meeting. Staff also noted warranty differences: sign companies typically provide warranties, while the independent metal fabricator had not provided warranty terms in the initial proposal.