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Sunman council moves to pursue grant and extra appropriations for new digital town sign
Summary
After a presentation by GreenSign Company, the council voted to pursue a Ripley County Community Foundation grant and approve additional appropriations to replace the town’s aging single‑color sign with a new digital display; vendor Watchfire offers a five‑year parts warranty and remote support.
Carrie Fitzpatrick, a representative of GreenSign Company, presented a digital sign proposal to the Sunman Town Council, describing a Watchfire 3-by-7 sign (demo unit 4-by-8) that uses 4G wireless, includes free software and training, and supports scheduled content updates. “It comes with… free software, free training,” Fitzpatrick said, adding that the signs auto-dim and can be scheduled up to five years in advance.
Council members asked about durability, wind loads and permitting. Fitzpatrick said the manufacturer engineers wind loads for each installation and that a five-year parts warranty is included; extreme weather events such as tornado damage would be insurance issues. “We have one that is now 19 years old, still going,” she said to illustrate longevity.
The clerk/treasurer (the official who presented budget figures at the meeting) outlined a funding plan that would combine town appropriations with outside support: Park and Recreation $2,000, marshal restricted opioid funds $2,000, a $5,000 contribution from the water utility, and an application to the Ripley County Community Foundation. The clerk noted that additional appropriations would be required and estimated a remaining town balance of about $132,000 on the budget line under end-of-year assumptions.
After discussion about timing and financial prudence, Council member (speaker 4) moved that the town pursue the Ripley County Community Foundation grant and move forward with the additional appropriations needed to complete the project; another council member seconded the motion. The motion was adopted by the council without a formal roll-call tally recorded in the transcript.
Fitzpatrick told the council manufacturing lead time is typically four to six weeks once ordered, with painting and installation constrained by temperature: “We order, and it's normally 4 or 5 weeks when we get it… I would say that 4 to 6 will have everything done.”
Next steps the council discussed included confirming any county sign-permit requirements for replacing an existing digital sign and completing the grant application and appropriation paperwork. The council directed staff to proceed with applying for the community foundation grant and preparing the additional appropriation request for future formal approval.
