Board approves $7,065 crosswalk signage and beacon package, to finalize county agreement

The Hartland-Lakeside J3 School District board voted to approve a phase-one safety improvement for the Northshore/Marshall Street crosswalk, authorizing purchase of new signage and beacons at a quoted cost of $7,065.50 and directing staff to enter a two-party agreement with the county to govern installation and ongoing maintenance.

Patrick, a staff member who presented the county-led plan, described a three-phase approach the county's interns and engineers proposed after traffic surveys. He said the first phase would add more visible school-zone signs that read "school zone 15 mph" with clear time bands and additional beacons to give drivers advance warning. "Let's see what phase one does, then we can talk about phase two," Patrick said, framing the staged approach as fiscally prudent.

Board members stressed that the district should not assume long-term maintenance obligations without clarity in the contract. One board member described the purchase as reasonable: "I think it's a no-brainer to spend in the effort of safety," and the board asked staff to confirm ongoing battery replacement and subscription or programming costs for the beacons before finalizing the agreement.

The motion to approve the phase-one purchase and to enter into the county agreement carried on a board voice vote during the meeting. The board president asked that the draft agreement be updated to reference the district's legal name before signatures are exchanged; staff said they would reach back to county officials and bring the revised agreement forward for signature.

Next steps: staff will collect long-term maintenance and subscription costs, revise the draft county agreement with the district's legal name and bring the final agreement and purchase authorization through the normal administrative signature process.