Residents urge restoration of historic REO/Olds signs and complain of dangerous snow/ice at city sidewalk

During the meeting’s citizen comment periods, residents pressed the City Council to restore historic gateway signs referencing the town’s Olds/REO heritage and raised a safety concern about a persistent snow/ice pile on a city sidewalk.

One resident asked the council to replace a sign that previously stood on Route 534 north of the interstate and at three other entry points to the city. The speaker described 4‑by‑4 wooden, sandblasted signs that once read “Home of R.E. Olds” and suggested replacements could use modern materials such as plastic slabs or 3‑D printing. The record includes multiple references to local volunteers and businesses that originally made or cared for the signs; the speaker suggested historical‑society grants or private contributions might fund replacements.

A second resident followed up with more detail, saying city staff had located four original wooden signs and that one was in good condition, two in poor condition and one beyond repair. That speaker suggested local manufacturers or vocational programs might be able to reproduce the signs.

A third citizen described a fall last year by a relative who slipped on ice while entering a location to pay a water bill, said the relative lost work as a result and described the condition as city negligence. The resident asked the city to follow up; a council member replied that the matter would be investigated.

Street‑department staff were mentioned by name in the public comments (Tim Pittner and Mike Kovach) as having inspected or been shown the signs. Council members acknowledged the historical value of the signs and said they would look into options and next steps. The meeting then moved to an executive session on personnel matters.