By Bruce Rolfe

The Climax Village Council continued to discuss the purchase of a weather warning siren at the August 20 regular meeting.

Public Safety/Fire Chairman Nick Ludwig said he recently met with Climax Township Fire Chief Scott Smith about a potential location to place the weather warning siren.

Ludwig provided three options from West Shore Siren at the August 6 regular meeting ranging from a new weather warning siren at a cost of $28,500 to two used sirens for $18,100 and $13,200.

Three possible locations to place the weather warning siren was on top of the Climax Township Fire Station, in the middle of the Village near the Village Hall in the old Harvester lot or near the current inoperable weather warning siren behind well house No. 1 on the west side of the Village. Ludwig said with the Climax Rotary Club showing interest of using the old Harvester lot for a beautification project, the lot might be an area to avoid. Ludwig also informed the Council West Shore preferred not to place the siren on top of the fire station because of potential damage to shingles and the roof.

Ludwig recommended a used AC/DC remote sire that is comparable to the new warning siren the council previously reviewed at a cost of $18,100. The warning siren comes with a back up battery and two-way connection that allows local control for testing on a monthly basis, activated locally and activated through Kalamazoo County Central Dispatch. The horns rotate 360 degrees. West Shore Services would provide a 50-foot pole to mount the siren on. The weather warning siren has a one-mile radius. The used siren has a backup battery in case there is a loss of power and it also comes with a one-year warranty.

There is currently a 220-volt hookup option at the well house to hook the siren up.

The Council will review the budget and continue discussion at the September 3 meeting.

The Village’s current weather warning siren worked in 2014 but did not rotate. It eventually stopped functioning and a previous council chose not to repair the warning siren.

Council Will Continue To Review Grant Opportunity To Rebuild North Main Street Railroad Crossing

The Council will continue to review a grant opportunity to rebuild the North Main Street railroad crossing.

Streets/Sidewalks/Census Chairperson Joline Chaney said last year’s estimate to rebuild the North Main Street railroad crossing was be $432,080, however she has not received an estimate for this year yet.

She adds if a grant through the annual local grade crossing surface program is successfully obtained, 60 percent of the funding would be covered by the State and the other 40 percent would be covered by Canadian National, meaning the Village would not be obligated for any funding.

Chaney said the Council will first have to approve a traffic count study, estimated to cost $1,500 for both crossings, however the Village would only need one study performed so that cost would be less.

The grant has to be filed by September 20.

Chaney said the Village was turned down for the grant last year because the Village did not meet traffic count criteria.

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