Seagrave asks Clintonville to spend $7,200 on pedestrian safety

By Bert Lehman

Seagrave has requested that the city of Clintonville install four pedestrian crosswalk warning signals at the two pedestrian crossings to their manufacturing plant.

Interim City Administrator Chuck Kell first informed the Street Committee of the request at its July 7 meeting. He said Seagrave made the request on July 6.

“They have two crossings that are in the detour route,” Kell said.

He said that similar signs have been installed by the city near other businesses in the industrial park.

Kell said Seagrave installed new sidewalks along their plant as well as new crossings.

“They’ve already invested some funding to try and channel people down there so they’ll not walking all over the place,” Kell said.

At the time, Kell said he didn’t know what the cost would be.

At its July 13 meeting, the Finance Committee recommended to the city council that it approve the request. The vote was 3-0 with Lois Bressette and John Wilson excused from the meeting.

During the discussion, Kell said the cost would be $7,200 to purchase and install the flashing crosswalk warning signals.
Kell said Seagrave is in a TIF district, and the city is still within the expenditure period for that TIF.

“Street improvements are an eligible expense in that TID,” Kell said.

He added that he spoke with Ehlers because this is a TID that could potentially be closed in two years.

“Ehlers feels that this amount of money would not affect that closing date at all,” Kell said.

Kell recommended the committee approve the request and have the city pay for the warning signals and have them installed since it did it for other area businesses, and this detour route will be used again during the second phase of Main Street reconstruction.