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County to study expanded outdoor warning siren coverage after residents raise gaps in unorganized territory
Summary
Commissioners directed staff to draft a proposal exploring expansion and preventive maintenance for outdoor warning sirens, including potential siting and costs to cover unorganized territory and tourist areas after residents reported not hearing existing sirens.
MADAM CHAIR: Crow Wing County commissioners asked staff to develop a proposal to expand and better maintain the county's outdoor warning sirens after residents and board members flagged gaps in coverage, particularly in unorganized territory popular with tourists.
The issue arose during the consent-agenda discussion when a commissioner noted that an "organized territory" within the county lacked sirens and asked staff to estimate what it would take to install coverage there. County staff said the initiative began after a committee-of-the-whole review and a stakeholder working group; staff said they had met with about 20 local representatives and would return with recommended locations and cost estimates.
Staff described the unorganized territory as one of the county's larger population and event areas and said the board would receive proposals on the best locations "to hit the most amount of people that would be able to hear those sirens," including consideration of tourist-event venues and populated neighborhoods where residents reported not hearing alerts.
County staff also said they had fielded individual resident requests—for example, a caller from Gold Dam Road reported not hearing sirens in that area—and had conducted outreach with towns and cities on a unified preventive-maintenance schedule. Commissioners discussed that installation in organized areas may fall under township authority and agreed to coordinate with township officers; one commissioner said they would attend the Association of Township Officers meeting to follow up.
Why it matters: Outdoor warning systems are a primary method for alerting residents about severe weather and other public-safety emergencies. Gaps in coverage can leave populated recreation and residential areas without timely public alerts, a concern commissioners said they want staff to quantify and address in a forthcoming proposal.
Next steps: Staff said they will compile proposed sites, estimated costs, and a maintenance schedule and return with a formal recommendation. The board asked that the proposal include coordination with townships where appropriate.
