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Sunman council agrees to pursue grant and extra appropriation to replace town sign with Watchfire digital display
Summary
The Town of Sunman heard a presentation from Carrie Fitzpatrick of Green Sign Company on a Watchfire digital sign and voted to pursue community foundation grant funding and seek an additional appropriation to complete the upgrade; local departments pledged modest contributions.
Carrie Fitzpatrick of Green Sign Company presented a Watchfire digital sign demo and urged the Town of Sunman to replace its aging single-color sign with a programmable digital display. "This is the exact product that will be on the sign," Fitzpatrick said, describing a weather-rated unit with 4G wireless connectivity, auto-dimming and a five-year parts warranty.
The council discussed durability, brightness controls and installation. Fitzpatrick said the product auto-dims via a photocell and can be scheduled to prevent late-night messaging; the software is included and remote technical support is provided by the manufacturer. When asked about wind loading and storm damage, Fitzpatrick said wind-load factors are engineered for the site but extreme events would likely be an insurance matter, not a manufacturer warranty.
Funding for the project will be a mix of local contributions and grant-seeking. Fitzpatrick presented a recommended project budget and said the Park & Recreation board offered $2,000, the marshal offered $2,000 (restricted opiate funds), and the water utility would contribute $5,000. The council agreed to apply to the Ripley County Community Foundation and to pursue an additional appropriation from the EDIT fund to cover remaining costs. A council member raised concerns about fiscal prudence and indicated they might abstain or vote against the appropriation, but a motion to proceed with the appropriations request and grant application was made and seconded.
The presentation included a timeline: ordering and manufacture typically take four to six weeks with additional time for painting and site work, and the company offers optional annual maintenance agreements. The council did not record a roll-call vote or tally in the transcript for the sign appropriation motion; the motion was moved and seconded during the meeting record.
Next steps: staff will finalize the appropriation paperwork, file the grant application with the Ripley County Community Foundation, and confirm that replacing the existing sign does not require a new Ripley County permit. If the grant is not awarded, the council discussed alternative utility contributions and internal transfers to cover the balance.
