(Image from the City of Appleton)
You can add Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna to the list of local officials that aren’t happy Outagamie County wants communities to take ownership of outdoor warning sirens.
There are 10 sirens within Appleton’s borders. Hanna says the sirens play an important role in letting people know about severe weather if they’re outside. He believes they need a regional system in the Fox Cities instead of potentially not having sirens in some cities or towns. There are 10 sirens in Appleton.
Hanna estimates the annual maintenance costs for each siren would be $800. It could cost $25,000 to replace one. Hanna says if the county follows through with the proposal he believes the city should take ownership of the sirens for safety reasons.
