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Todd County public works to propose switch from vertical to horizontal 911 address blades; board asks for formal action at next meeting
Summary
Public works proposed switching 911 address blades from a vertical 7x24-inch design to a smaller horizontal 6x16-inch blade, citing lower per-sign cost and improved readability for emergency responders.
Public works staff told the board during the work session that they propose switching the county’s 911 address blades from the current vertical 7-by-24-inch style to a horizontal 6-by-16-inch blade used by most surrounding counties.
Staff said the horizontal blade costs about $5.61 per blade and is approximately $3.25 cheaper than the existing vertical blade because of reduced material and film costs. They noted operational advantages: smaller surface area reduces snow and vegetation obstruction, blade orientation is more natural to read left-to-right and the horizontal format allows stacking multiple addresses on the same post in locations with shared driveways.
Public works staff explained that townships pay for address-blade materials; the county purchases and fabricates the blades (the county produces the signs in-house) and historically has not charged for installation labor. Staff also said a full township-wide replacement is possible but would require coordination and additional staff time; they suggested staged replacement tied to normal replacement cycles or a township-requested wholesale swap.
Sheriff Allen (referred to in the meeting) supported the horizontal style for readability and emergency response. Commissioners asked staff to prepare a regular board agenda action (a board action form) for the Feb. 18 meeting; public works said it would prepare that item for formal consideration.
Why it matters: Switching to a horizontal blade could reduce per-sign materials costs and improve readability for emergency responders, while the fiscal impact would be borne primarily by townships, not the county general fund.
Ending: Public works will bring a board action to the Feb. 18 meeting to formally authorize the transition and clarify cost and installation logistics.
