BELLVILLE — Bellville Mayor Teri Brenkus said Tuesday she hopes to have a new, $24,650 solar-powered tornado siren installed on the southern end of the village by the end of 2021.
Richland County commissioners agreed to split the costs of the siren with the village, with each entity paying $12,325.19.
Originally, commissioners and village officials hoped Jefferson Township trustees would agree to divide the cost three ways.
However, trustees unanimously passed a resolution earlier this year stating they would not be willing to take on that cost.
Jefferson Township Trustees chair Mark Gatton told Richland Source earlier this summer the need for tornado sirens is not as prevalent given today’s technology.
“They were never designed to alert people indoors, and that’s all I needed to hear,” Gatton said. “There are different apps you can get on your phone that can tell you what’s going on weather-wise, good or bad, and everybody has a cell phone, internet and TV. So we didn’t feel that the expenditure was worth it.
“I’m not putting a negative twist on the fact that they think it is; that’s just how we feel. It’s our job to spend our money wisely.”
Brenkus met with commissioners in June and the decision was made to go forward with estimates for the work.
“I think we need to do this regardless, especially in light of the fact that this county has a history of tornadoes and high-weather events,” Commissioner Tony Vero said in June. “Any extra of layer of safety we can provide to the residents is a good thing, at a very minimal cost.”
Brenkus and village administrator Larry Weirich presented commissioners Tuesday with a proposal from VASU Communications Inc. for a high-powered directional rotating siren that can be heard over a one-mile radius.
The solar-powered siren has a constantly charging battery backup, Brenkus told commissioners.
The mayor said a final location for the siren’s tower had not yet been selected, but it would be set high enough to be effective.
In accordance with its emergency operations plan, Richland County has 42 outdoor warning sirens in locations throughout the county. Each is owned, operated and maintained by the jurisdiction in which it is located.
Siren activation is performed by the Richland County dispatch center. Belville’s new siren would be part of that system.
The purpose of outdoor warning sirens is to notify people who are outside to seek shelter and additional information about the situation. Outdoor warning sirens are designed to be audible for an outdoor range of approximately one square mile, depending on wind conditions.
The new tornado siren would be able to reach residents particularly in the Greenbriar Condos, Hamilton Hills and Urban Meadows neighborhoods in Bellville.
