Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Wednesday, February 15, 2012
(BEDFORD) - Boy Scout troop 332 attended the Bedford City Council meeting Tuesday night.
The goal was to learn how city government functions.
Scout Masters Todd Harris and Joe Cielslik say the boys attended the meeting to see city government in action and to help them earn their Citizenship In Community and Communications badges.
Council members passed two ordinances:
For additional appropriations for the sign modernization fund.
The Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, an 800-plus page booklet adopted in 2009, demands improvements to all signs, including reflective lettering. Failure to comply with new government standards could result in lawsuits from drivers or their families who suffer injury or death attributable to substandard maintenance.
Bedford Street Commissioner Dan Kirk has been consulting with LTAP.
"New federal requirements will make it mandatory that all city, county and state highway departments comply with the minimum standards for sign retro-reflectivity," Kirk said. "I've been working with Laura Slusher on $50,000 in federal aid which requires a 10-percent match. This will be to assist the city in the initial inventory, engineering costs and in having a replacement plan in effect by January of 2012.
"We have the next seven years to complete the sign replacements, which according to federal guidelines, need to be done by the end of 2018."
Kirk estimated Bedford has approximately 5,000 signs in the city which will have to be replaced.
"I have a preliminary plan and method for accomplishing these federal requirements," Kirk said, "but we will take this one step at a time. This starts with a more precise evaluation of what we have and what we need."
The council also voted on another ordinance enacting and adopting a supplement to the code of ordinance.
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.