‘Orphan’ tornado siren repair tabled indefinitely

Union County, after tabling the subject for a week, has again tabled the repair of a tornado siren at Green Valley Lake.

EMA Coordinator Paul Ver Meer visited the Union County Board of Supervisors Wednesday. Ver Meer said he wanted the board to understand any funds to the repair would be considered a donation from the county in order to repair a siren with no ownership.

“That siren’s sort of an orphan. Let’s put it that way,” Ver Meer said.

The siren, built through donations and placed on Green Valley State Park land, has no one who actively maintains it. Ver Meer had originally asked the county for $2,000 for the siren’s repair. With the siren unable to function except through manual use, the repair is at a standstill.

“If we get it fixed, who’s going to be responsible for the upkeep?” Ver Meer said. “I can’t speak for the county to say that we would maintain it and the state is not going to maintain it. So right now, until we figure out a resolution to that, I’d say we’re probably going to have to table it until something comes up.”

Ver Meer said he received a $5,000 grant from BNSF for EMA operations, but noted there were other areas of EMA business he considered more important for those funds.

Even if the siren is repaired, continued maintenance on the siren would need a dedicated ownership, something which neither the county or state is willing to take on.

Supervisor Rick Friday said if the siren was set up through volunteers and donations, it should continued to be maintained through those same services.

“That’s put up by volunteers, purchased by volunteers,” Friday said. “And I don’t see, in my opinion, don’t see where the county was responsible for that.”

The subject was tabled by the county indefinitely, with Ver Meer saying he’ll continue to seek out ways to set up donation funds for the siren repairs.

Ver Meer reported the tabling later the same day Wednesday at the monthly EMA Commission meeting. He also gave information on a possible Shannon City tornado siren.

Union County EMA received a BRIC grant, but Ver Meer was unsure if FEMA would allow for the funds to be used for a tornado siren. Shannon City has been saving for a tornado siren of their own, with about $10,000.

Ver Meer estimated the BRIC grant would fund about 75% of the total project costs. A bid Ver Meer received for the Shannon City siren came in at $28,335 for a brand new siren.

In addition, a refurbished siren was also offered at $8,900. Ver Meer said he’d prefer the new siren, owing to a longer-lasting and higher-quality device with a longer warranty in case something malfunctions.

Shannon City will decide on the siren during their city council meeting.

In other Union County news...

Sheriff Brian Bolton appeared before the board to discuss the purchase of a command vehicle. Bolton said he budgeted $53,000 for the purchase and presented three options, a Ford Police Interceptor for $49,600, a Dodge Durango for $47,800 and a Chevrolet Tahoe for $53,740.

Bolton said he’d prefer the Tahoe for the purchase, explaining how it matches trends across the state and will make for an easily recognizable command vehicle. Other factors included extra room in the vehicle and a heavier frame. The county approved the purchase of the Tahoe.

A resolution approved Wednesday lowered the service of a level B road to a level C road following a public hearing. 225th Street, from Kingfisher Road to Lark Avenue, will no longer be maintained by Union County Roads. Signs warning commuters on the road’s condition will be placed at the west and east access points.

The county approved the purchase of a lawnmower for the roads department. Out of three bids, the county went with a bid for $14,000.