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Willows allocates up to $40,000 to replace wayfinding, street-name and LED stop signs; council seeks additional traffic-safety options
Summary
The Willows City Council authorized the city manager to spend up to $40,000 to replace wayfinding signs, faded street-name signs and install solar LED stop signs at a hazardous intersection, voting 5-0. Councilmembers asked staff to explore additional freeway/entrance wayfinding and speed-warning devices for busy approaches.
The Willows City Council voted 5-0 on July 8 to authorize the city manager to proceed with procurement not to exceed $40,000 for new wayfinding signs, citywide replacement of faded street-name and stop signs, and solar-powered LED stop signs at a high-risk intersection.
Public Works staff member Joe Betancourt presented the proposal, saying the purchase would replace existing wayfinding signs at key entry points (downtown, library, museum and city hall), update citywide street-name signs (many of which are faded), and replace temporary flashing beacons at the County Road 57 / Highway 99 intersection with solar LED stop signs that include battery backup. Betancourt said the LED signs would be more visible, work in fog, and avoid the maintenance problem posed by battery-powered flashing beacons that sometimes fail.
The $40,000 figure was a not-to-exceed procurement authorization. Betancourt told council the project would be funded in part by a PG&E grant of $5,000 and by Greater Willows Improvement League funds; the transcript did not provide a reconciled breakdown of the full $40,000, and staff said they would confirm exact funding sources and amounts as procurement proceeds.
Councilmembers and staff discussed practical deployment and jurisdictional issues. Several councilmembers urged staff to prioritize the worst-faded signs and to work with Caltrans where Wood Street approaches or other state-route approaches are affected. Members discussed adding wayfinding on the interstate/off‑ramp corridors and partnering with private property owners (for example, Walmart) or using existing signage structures where possible to direct visitors to downtown.
Councilmember Rick (last name not specified) and others emphasized traffic-safety priorities at the County Road 57/99 intersection, noting prior fatal crashes and dark conditions in that area. Council members suggested exploring additional speed-warning signs that flash if drivers exceed the posted limit on north/south approaches of Highway 99.
Following discussion, a motion to authorize the city manager to proceed with the procurement not to exceed $40,000 was seconded and passed 5-0.
Ending: Staff will proceed with procurement, confirm funding sources and return information to council as needed. Councilmembers asked staff to price additional traffic-safety treatments (speed-warning devices or other measures) and to return with cost options in a future agenda item.
