Hewitt staff outline federal SS4A sign-inventory grant to map and prioritize traffic signs

Hewitt — Assistant City Manager Jim Develin told the Hewitt City Council on June 15 that the city has never maintained a formal inventory of regulatory and warning traffic signs and is considering applying for a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) demonstration grant to document and prioritize repairs.

"City of Hewitt has no sign inventory. We've never had a sign inventory," Develin said, describing a proposed program that would photograph signs, measure reflectivity, check compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and build an in-house GIS database the city could update.

Develin said the regional Metropolitan Planning Organization issued an SS4A funding opportunity for roughly $800,000 with an 80/20 match, and that the project in Hewitt would be multi-year: consultant selection and jurisdictional coordination this year, field data collection over about a year, data standardization and dashboard development, and final deliverables by late 2028. He said the city will request the project database be hosted in-house so Hewitt staff can maintain and add to it over time.

Council members questioned whether Hewitt should create a municipal sign shop or coordinate purchases across participating cities. Develin and other staff said installing and replacing signs is frequently handled by the city as part of maintenance and development, and that TxDOT-owned signs and the county’s inventory would be coordinated separately when the consultant notes noncompliant or deficient signs on those roadways.

Develin said the inventory will allow Hewitt to prioritize missing signs and faded or damaged signs rather than responding piecemeal after complaints or collisions. "It can be something that can be managed and budgeted," one council member said, noting a local match in the packet and the small cost for cities of Hewitt’s size compared with the county share.

The presentation did not include a formal council vote on pursuing the grant; council discussion focused on scope, timelines and whether the city should maintain its own sign resources. Staff said future grant rounds would be the likely vehicle for funding any large replacement work the inventory identifies.

What happens next: staff will continue coordination through the MPO and return with any recommended action, consultant selection details and formal contract language if the city elects to participate in the SS4A project.