Mayor Butch Berry told council Monday he had spoken with the United States Department of Agriculture last year about the possibility of a grant to pay for warning sirens to be stationed around town to alert citizens of tornadoes or other violent weather events.
“They found one,” Berry said. The city can receive a grant of $41,000 to position three sirens in strategic places around town. However, the city would need to pay a match of $14,350. He said this amount would be available because of refinancing the Eureka Springs Fire Department ambulance.
Council was still reeling from discussions of stagnant revenue, the need for a sales tax and a freeze on non-essential expenditures, so responses came slowly. Alderman Terry McClung commented that he city has survived all these years without a tornado in town, but added he would have a hard time saying “no” to the grant.
Alderman Joyce Zeller asked, “Don’t we already have enough ways to alert people? Couldn’t it be hacked? Aren’t we freezing spending? Couldn’t we put this off?”
Berry responded when the city wrote the grant it was not known the budget situation would be like it is. But the grant opportunity is here now, and would not be available later. He acknowledged Zeller’s concerns.
Alderman David Mitchell also acknowledged Zeller’s questions, but likened this situation to when the Fire Department said it needed to upgrade the self-contained breathing apparatuses because the firemen were not safe otherwise. “We must protect citizens,” he contended, “and we have this opportunity and we can pay for it.”
Alderman James DeVito added that climate and weather patterns have changed, so the possibility of needing a warning device has increased. “I’m willing to bite the bullet on this one and be in favor of it. If it saves one person, one family, it will be a small price to pay.”
McClung moved to assign the resolution a number and read it for passage. Vote to approve his motion was 4-1, Zeller voting No.