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Steele County will assume maintenance and dispatch control of existing warning sirens
Summary
Commissioners voted to have the county assume maintenance and convert existing town/city sirens so dispatch can activate them, citing an estimated one‑time conversion cost of about $25,000 and the possibility of FEMA grant funds to offset upgrades.
Steele County commissioners voted to have the county take responsibility for the maintenance and conversion of existing municipal sirens so county dispatch can activate them.
Ben, the county staff member leading emergency‑management discussion, told commissioners that bringing existing sirens online for dispatch control would cost "right about 25,000 for all of that," and that the county could apply state‑subgranted FEMA funds if the state receives a Next Generation Warning System grant. "If we make the decision to take the sirens on us… let me handle the maintenance and all that stuff with it," he said, asking the board to authorize spending to update the equipment so dispatch could trigger alerts automatically.
Commissioners discussed ongoing maintenance obligations and insurance questions for the equipment before moving and passing the request on a voice vote. The motion directs staff to assume responsibility for existing sirens, pursue the upgrades required for dispatch activation, and return with any contract or budget details needed for implementation. The transcript records the motion and that it "carried" in a voice vote; individual recorded tallies were not specified in the transcript.
Next steps the board identified include: confirming recurring maintenance costs with staff and vendors, cataloging which sirens require upgrades, and pursuing the state‑applied FEMA grant to offset upgrade costs.
