By Brett Jones/Staff Writer
published Jan. 22, 2009

Mustang City Council members Tuesday helped flip the light on for a firefighters’ plan to reach out to residents with a new digital sign.

For more than a year, local firefighters have tried to raise an estimated $20,000 for construction of a digital sign in front of the firehouse. To date, firefighters have raised an estimated $11,000 in donations.

Council members approved tapping a fund for facility improvements for up to $9,000, but placed one condition on the payout — the sign must be used for public safety only and any message must be approved by the firefighters.

City Manager David Cockrell said that condition was also sought by firefighters who voiced concern that too many messages on the sign might dilute the effectiveness in alerting residents of potential dangers. Public safety concerns that would be displayed on the sign include fire danger warnings, storm shelter notifications and Amber Alerts.

Cockrell said the city would tap the facility fund that contains $29,700, which had been realized through an insurance payout related to damage to the fire department’s roof. The city had allotted money for the repair after insurance claims had previously been denied.

Cockrell said the city later received the payout through the efforts of City Clerk Trish Winham who he said worked hard to secure the funds for the city.

Prior to the Council’s decision, firefighters estimated they still needed $8,500 to purchase the sign and an additional $1,500 for the installation.

“One of the goals had been to try and have this sign done and installed before this spring’s storm season,” Cockrell said. “The main purpose of this sign is to warn the public about high fire dangers, to warn of storm dangers, to communicate electronically when storm shelters are open. They (firefighters) were quite a ways off and certainly making it by their spring deadline absolutely did not seem that it could happen.”

While the amount donated will not completely pay for the total project, Cockrell said he believed any shortfall could be made up through donations or other sources of funding.

In other action, the City Council approved a request from the Oklahoma Mustang Club to host the 2010 Mustang National Car Show.