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Groves moves to print traffic signs in-house; council approves $54,000 purchase
Summary
Public Works presented a plan to buy a 54-inch traffic sign printer for about $54,000. Staff said in-house printing could avoid approximately $120,000 in third-party costs over a large replacement cycle, improve turnaround and quality and allow custom city signage; council approved the purchase.
Public Works presented a proposal to purchase a traffic sign printer and related equipment for approximately $54,000 and said the city has the budget to cover the capital cost at fiscal-year end. Staff described operational benefits including faster turnaround, better quality control, the ability to customize street-name signs and to print vehicle decals and magnets in-house.
Staff estimated that outsourcing a large sign-replacement project would cost roughly $120,000 when using a third-party vendor for the more than 700 street-name signs identified. The proposed printer, a wide-format unit, would handle sign sizes used across city signage, and staff said they would continue to buy new aluminum blanks from a vendor when replacements were required rather than purchasing blanks directly in all cases.
Council discussed recurring maintenance budget levels for sign replacement (staff cited about $12,000 per year as a maintenance baseline) and asked about supply and training needs; staff said installation and training were included in the vendor proposal. Street superintendent Joey, who has advocated for in-house capability, supported the request. Council approved the purchase in a recorded vote.
