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Council to begin monthly tests of flood-warning siren; staff examines $26,000 remote-activation quote and grants
Summary
The council agreed to schedule monthly tests of the city's flood-warning system starting in March and directed staff to pursue a $26,000 remote-activation option and grant opportunities (including a T‑Mobile community grant) to improve reliability and notification.
Public works staff reported that previous testing of the flood-warning siren was limited and inconsistent and recommended instituting a regular testing schedule to ensure residents recognize the test tone and that the system reaches outdoor areas. "We did do some testing on it a while back... we need to put it on a routine schedule," the public works speaker said, recommending monthly testing (the first Wednesday at noon was proposed).
Staff also reported a quote for roughly $26,000 to enable remote activation of the system so the city could trigger the siren from City Hall rather than traveling to the tower. Council discussed supplementing outdoor siren tests with text alerts and social-media notice and asked staff to pursue available grants, including a potential T‑Mobile community-grant opportunity, to help pay for upgrades. The council set a policy to begin routine testing in March and asked staff to return with grant application information and a plan to inform residents about the test schedule.
