4.c) Staff Report-Warning Sirens from Forest Lake c� �
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SCANDIA
StaffReport
Date of Meeting: March 12, 2013
To: City Council
From: Kristina Handt, Administrator
Re: Warning Sirens from Forest Lake
Agenda Item#: 4.c)
Background:
The 2013-2017 Capital Improvement Plan includes the purchase of one warning siren each year
for the next six years. The CIP also assumes a FEMA grant to cover 75%of the costs.
Staff has learned that the FEMA grants no longer have funding and so we have begun exploring
other options. At a meeting earlier this month the Mayor and Administrator learned that Forest
Lake will be decommissioning two sirens when they install new ones. The Forest Lake Fire
Chief has confirmed that another municipality that they were offered to first is not interested so
the option exists to have them donated to the City of Scandia.
Forest Lake staff will have to get authorization from the Forest Lake Council to donate the sirens
to Scandia. Before they do so, staff would like to confirm that the Scandia City Council has an
interest in accepting them.
Issue:
Should the City of Scandia pursue getting two donated warning sirens from the City of Forest
Lake?
Proposal Details:
The City of Forest Lake will be decommissioning two 1988 Federal Thunderbeam outdoor
warning sirens. These sirens are AC sirens and have been fully maintained throughout the
years. They function very well and should continue functioning for many years to come. Forest
Lake is upgrading to "report back" software when their new sirens are installed and these would
not be compatible with that programming.
The Council will need to have a discussion(possibly at a later date) to determine the locations
for the sirens, should you decide to accept them. Staff would recommend a location Big Marine
Lake given the seasonal population increases. Although the sirens do not have the wider range
originally discussed (these are 20,000 watt sirens),having something in the area is better than
nothing. Another possible location to consider would be near Bone Lake.
Fiscal Impact:
Scandia would be responsible for removing the sirens from Forest Lake and the installation in
Scandia. The Fire Chief will obtain quotes on the cost of doing so.
The budget does include $7,500 that would have been used this year for the grant match but
could be redirected to cover the costs associated with getting the sirens from Forest Lake and
installing them in Scandia.
Options:
1) Pursue the acceptance of two warning sirens from the City of Forest Lake
2) Do not accept warning sirens from the City of Forest Lake
Recommendation:
Direct staff to let Forest Lake know we are interested in receiving the two sirens.