Citing a lack of public interest and a desire to prioritize spending on road infrastructure, the Crow Wing County Board tabled an initiative to install emergency sirens throughout the First Assessment District.
The board, acting as the township board for the district known as Unorganized Territory, hosted a public forum on the issue at its regular Tuesday meeting. No residents showed up to share opinions on emergency sirens.
Although the area between Baxter and Nisswa is one of the most populous in the county, Unorganized Territory receives no coverage from more than 40 sirens used to warn people outdoors of impending severe weather. The installation and maintenance of sirens is up to the respective governmental jurisdiction-13 sirens cover Brainerd and Baxter, while 12 sirens are located within earshot of Crosslake residents.
"This is just another tool to help in getting the word out that people need to take shelter and find out information on what is going on," said John Bowen, emergency management director.
In his presentation, Bowen suggested four areas where emergency sirens could be placed within Unorganized Territory-between Gull, Round and North Long lakes; at the intersection of Gull Lake Dam Road and Highway 371; at the intersection of Wise and Smith roads; and the intersection of County Highway 3 and Executive Acres Road.
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The sirens are designed to reach a radius of just over a mile or up to 4 miles in favorable conditions. Bowen said each would cost about $20,000 to install, not counting potential costs of running electrical power to the poles and ongoing power costs.
Commissioner Paul Thiede wondered about the efficacy of emergency sirens. He said the monthly tests, and the use of the sirens in the past as daily noon and 6 p.m. bells-as was the practice in Pequot Lakes for many years-might reduce the effectiveness.
"Is this really something that people are clamoring for, in this day and age with cellphones?" Thiede said. "When those sirens go off, do people ignore them? ... I wonder at the effectiveness."
Bowen said every jurisdiction in the county follows statewide best practices, no longer sounding the sirens for reasons other than tests and severe weather. Bowen noted the sirens were also once used to alert firefighters they were needed at the fire station.
"We only activate them for winds sustained of 70 mph or more, or a tornado warning of course," Bowen said.
Bowen said he felt the sirens were a good tool for people outside when dangerous weather was approaching, such as those gathered at parks or baseball fields. He said sirens are designed for people to hear outside, but are not intended to be heard within one's home.
Commissioner Rachel Reabe Nystrom asked whether residents wanted sirens. Commissioner Rosemary Franzen, who represents a large portion of Unorganized Territory on the county board, said she'd received just one call and one written comment was submitted when the public forum was advertised in the newspaper.
"It's not something that's garnered a lot of support," Franzen said.
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When Bowen first discussed the issue at a 2016 committee of the whole meeting, it was at the behest of Franzen, who said a constituent of hers was concerned about the lack of sirens.
Thiede said "not one person has risen up" despite the area in question was also the site of recent dramatic severe thunderstorms.
County Administrator Tim Houle said if the county board-acting as the township board-approved emergency sirens, costs would be covered from the township budget. Houle said recent analysis of the funds and the rate at which spending on roads is occurring showed stress on the Unorganized Territory budget.
"There will be some challenges to that budget as we move forward through time to just maintain that road infrastructure," Houle said.
He said spending on emergency sirens would exacerbate an already challenging financial position.
"We eventually would have to raise the funds necessary through local tax," Houle said.
In December 2016, the county board approved a property tax levy increase of 6 percent for residents in Unorganized Territory. Houle said in an interview at the time the increase was driven by road infrastructure needs.
Houle said as part of comprehensive transportation planning for the area, County Engineer Tim Bray recognized a potential shortfall in funding.
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"We believe that the funding we currently have for the First Assessment District may not be adequate to support that transportation infrastructure the way we think it should be supporting it moving forward," Houle said in December.
"I think $20,000 times four is much better spent on roads than sirens," Thiede said.
The board took no action on the matter.
