The Auburn City Council voted unanimously Nov. 10 to award a professional services agreement to Maguire Pacific for a set of large wayfinding signs to be placed around the city.

City staff described the signs as 9 feet tall by 8½ feet wide and said their size requires specialized fabrication, coordination with Caltrans right-of-way, and night work that may require a crane for installation. "They are 9 feet tall by 8 and a half feet wide, so hopefully you'll be able to see these," Jonathan Wright, the economic development director, told the council.

Councilman Holmes said the work responds to a proliferation of hard-to-read signs and asked to see design mockups; staff said kiosks remain planned for parking lots and that most ground-level signs will be phased out over time. Wright said only one company currently offered fabrication at the needed scale and that the city purchased the highest-quality materials available to extend longevity and reflectivity.

Wright also confirmed the project is funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. "It's ARPA, yeah," he said when asked how the contract would be paid for.

A council member moved approval by resolution; the subsequent roll-call vote recorded Aye from Council member Bridal Harris, Davis, Dowden Calvio, Holmes and Mayor Amara. The motion passed.

What's next: staff estimated fabrication lead time of six weeks to a couple of months and said Caltrans permits and weather could affect timing. The council did not set a separate timeline beyond staff's estimate.