Clay County panel outlines interim county markers, new sign designs as state backlog delays approvals

The Clay County Historic Preservation Board on Thursday discussed a plan to install interim county historical markers and new wayfinding signs while the state review board works through a backlog of state marker applications.

Board members and staff said the county will pursue locally produced markers and directional (wayfinding) signs so the public can see local history before state markers are approved. Board staff presented revised sign designs, updated cost estimates and a tentative funding plan during the meeting.

Board staff said the State Review Board has a full membership and expects to begin reviewing marker applications this summer, but that applicant backlogs mean approvals could be delayed. "They have council full council seated, and they anticipate starting this summer with reviewing them. So and, of course, they've got a backlog," said Beth (staff member). That timeline prompted discussion of county-produced interim signs for sites including Middleburg Colored School, Saint Mary's Episcopal Church and the Brandon/Brannfield marker already in process.

Staff presented two sign types: a black-and-white “marker” panel intended to sit at a site with a short text panel and a brown roadside wayfinding sign to direct drivers to sites off the road. Billy (staff member) said the brown wayfinding signs would cost roughly $80–$100 each depending on materials. He told the board the black-and-white marker shown would cost roughly $150–$200 for a one-sided or double-sided panel, and that production of these county markers could be completed quickly once approved. "This format would, with the sign and and rail would run use between 80 and a hundred dollars depending on the materials," Billy said about the wayfinding sign.

Board staff also told members the county’s marker program faces higher-than-expected vendor pricing since earlier estimates. Staff cited specific examples presented to the board: the National Association for Preservation Committees membership fee shown in the packet would rise from $150 to $200 next year; several markers that had previously been budgeted at $2,500 were now represented in the packet at prices that staff described as roughly $3,000 (packet entries read as increased costs of about $3,070 for several sites). Beth cautioned that the figures were preliminary and that final budget authority rests with the County Commission.

To cover projects that are already in the pipeline, staff said the county had carried forward some funding this fiscal year and had asked budget staff about a carryover. "We were able to get additional budget of 10 total of 10,000 for this fiscal year," Beth told the board, adding that staff were working with the county budget office on a possible carryover to a larger amount for next year to cover multiple markers. Board members were told that nothing is final until the county commission adopts the budget (the county budget adoption schedule was noted as beginning in May with final adoption in September and an October 1 effective date).

Board members discussed how to prioritize which sites receive county markers if funds are limited. Several members suggested using county markers as an interim measure for sites that may later qualify for state markers, and for smaller local sites that might not meet state marker criteria but still merit recognition. Jerry (board member) emphasized the research requirements for marker text and documentation: the county needs marker text, a supporting bibliography, location/GPS coordinates, and any archival sources used as evidence before staff can submit an application to the state.

Board members also discussed adding QR codes or a link to the county’s tourism content (ExploreClay) so visitors can get more information. Billy said adding a QR code would require coordination with the county communications and tourism staff; Beth said the county communications team would need to “bless” any content and that ExploreClay previously hosted supplemental materials for markers.

On process and timing, staff said state-approved markers often have longer production lead times (staff quoted "around 20 weeks" for state marker production). By contrast, county-produced signs could be ordered and installed more quickly once text and approvals are complete. Board members asked staff to return with final cost numbers and a recommended list of priority sites so the board could settle how many and which markers to request in the upcoming budget cycle.

The board closed the historical-marker discussion after staff agreed to: collect final prices, confirm whether the county can carry funds forward in the budget, prepare marker text and bibliographic citations for submission, obtain GPS coordinates for proposed sign locations and coordinate required approvals with county communications and tourism staff.

Votes at a glance: The only formal recorded vote during the meeting was approval of the minutes from the previous meeting with one abstention. The motion to accept the minutes carried after a member noted a misspelling of their name and the board approved the correction. The minutes motion did not identify mover or seconder by name in the transcript; the vote included one abstention by a member who said they were not present at the prior meeting.

What’s next: Staff will return with updated cost estimates, final sign designs for county approval, compiled marker text and required bibliography and proposed priority site list for the board to consider ahead of the county budget process.