Granite Shoals adding safety striping to help with visibility during road work
Granite Shoals Mayor Carl Brugger read the plaque honoring former city Mayor Dennis Maier, who was awarded the John Rinehard Memorial Award for Outstanding Community Service, during the City Council meeting Nov. 13. Accepting the honor was Maier’s wife, Donna. Dennis Maier died Aug. 7. Courtesy photo
STAFF WRITER JENNIFER FIERRO
Drivers approaching stop signs on the three Granite Shoals main arteries will get a little “help” in where to stop before moving on.
The Granite Shoals City Council approved just over $36,625 during its regular meeting Nov. 13 for the addition of safety striping and warning strips at stop signs on Phillips Ranch Road, Prairie Creek Road, and Valley View Lane. The city is in the process of upgrading those roads.
The striping will extend halfway across the roadway, perpendicular from the stop signs, and show drivers where they must come to a complete stop. This request came from all department heads, City Manager Jeff Looney said.
Along with this striping, reflective pavement markers will be placed along the side of roadways to alert drivers to the roads’ edges.
Looney pointed out that the reflective markers will offer drivers an extra level of safety when approaching the affected intersections, especially at night.
The city has also closed a portion of North Phillips Ranch Road from RR 1431 to Newcastle Drive through Nov. 20 so crews can work on that stretch.
City staff also told council members that although the city has waived building permit fees for the Oct. 16 flood victims, residents still need to go to City Hall to obtain the permits. City Hall needs to know what residents are building and third-party inspectors need to be paid for analyzing the work to ensure it meets the standards of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to obtain the proper insurance.
“(Residents) would be responsible for paying for the inspections,” Looney said. “We want to make sure that’s known. We have to keep records of things that are done. It maintains credibility for the flood program. Without a lot of information and our ability to keep data, there’s a possibility we’d lose status with our citizens and the federal government on flood plain programs to get that kind of insurance.”
FEMA could say the city of Granite Shoals isn’t willing to comply if the proper documentation isn’t on file at City Hall, Looney added, and that could affect homeowners’ ability to obtain the proper flood insurance.
Looney said City Hall waived the building permit fees for two reasons:
• to encourage residents to continue to get permits to help them;
• and to alleviate some of the financial burdens.
“They shouldn’t have to pay for something they didn’t foresee happening,” he said.
Residents have a year to obtain the building permits without paying for them, and Looney said City Hall has a list of residents who will have their permit fees waived.
The permits are good for rebuilding garages, house attachments, docks, and any building affected by the flood.
In other business, residents interested in serving on the city charter review committee can download an application at graniteshoals.org or pick one up at City Hall, 2221 N. Phillips Ranch Road. Due to the closure on that portion of Phillips Ranch Road, residents can access City Hall from a driveway just west of the RR 1431-Phillips Ranch Road intersection across from the fire station.
The council is expected to review committee applications. That committee, which officials believe will convene for about six months, will make recommendations for charter amendments.
Granite Shoals Mayor Carl Brugger awarded the John Rinehart Memorial Award for Outstanding Community Service to former Mayor Dennis Maier. Maier died Aug. 7, so his wife, Donna, accepted the award on his behalf. Maier also served as a planning and zoning commissioner and the chairman of the city’s Street and Water Advisory Group.
The council also voted to change the finance director position to financial analyst II with a salary of $49,000. It’s more of a support position without supervisory duties. Applications are being accepted until Dec. 14.
