Tourists, delivery drivers and residents could soon not have to guess what street they’re on as city administration plans to replace every street sign over the next decade.
During the 2021 budget deliberation meeting on Dec. 16, council voted 6-1 to initiate a street sign improvement program to replace every sign over eight years at an annual cost of $15,600, or $124,800 in total. The program will also address intersections where street signs do not currently exist.
Coun. Crystal Froese was opposed.
City hall normally replaces street signs on a complaint-driven basis, explained Darrin Stephanson, director of public works and utilities. There are 581 street sign poles logged in a geographic information system. Most poles have two street signs, while a select few have only one street sign.
Overall, there are an estimated 1,050 street signs throughout Moose Jaw and an estimated 100 intersections without signs. Stephanson noted that city hall receives many complaints every year from visitors about intersections without street markings, faded signs, and poles in poor locations.
“We’ve never done a street sign program of this magnitude in the city. Therefore, we do think efficiencies will be found … ,” he said. “And the longer we go, it reduces the monetary impact to the operating budget, but it also reduces some of the pressure that we would have on our existing resources of our labour force to carry this out.”
The street signs have a 10-year warranty, Stephanson added, but a reasonable service life of 20 years could be expected.
While it’s great that city administration has a plan to replace all signs, Froese — to whom delivery drivers have complained about a lack of signs, she said — thought it would be better to wait another year since she didn’t want to increase the mill rate just to replace street signs.
“This is one of my pet peeves … ,” said Coun. Heather Eby, noting some signs look terrible while it makes navigating the community difficult. “It’s something I have wanted to see done since before the election. $15,000 is not a lot of money per year.
“I do think it is important and a lot of people do complain,” she added. “It shows a lack of pride when we let this go unchecked. You’re not putting your best face forward when you have street signs that look like ours do.”
There are decorative and beautiful street signs created specifically for Main Street that have sat in a storage compound for years, said Mayor Fraser Tolmie. Residents want council to take the lead on this since it generates community spirit.
“When you see that on a sign — when they’re looking for something or a place to go — that’s reflective of them and what they expect out of us,” he added.
The decorative signs are beautiful, but public works needs to adjust the brackets to fit on the poles, said city manager Jim Puffalt. City hall hopes to install the signs in 2021.
While this project will add 0.5 per cent to the proposed tax increase, it’s little projects like this that make a big difference, said Coun. Dawn Luhning, noting she has received complaints as well about the signage.
“We are a tourist destination,” echoed Coun. Jamey Logan. “We need to explain to people where to turn. Right now, I don’t think we can do that.”
The next budget meeting is Monday, Dec. 21 at 3 p.m.
