City to Buy New Stop Signs, Police Radios and More

approved a variety of purchases during its meeting on Tuesday night. Here’s a quick look:

• $4,623.15: Five new computers for the . The department has about nine computers in use now that are about seven years old, said Finance Committee Chair Rex Mack. The department wants to replace five of them.
• $11,666.38: New stop signs and all-way signs, plus a post driver rental. Director of Public Services Ron Weidig said the city has until 2015 to replace signs under a federal mandate. All cities are required to update their signs to meet new retroreflectivity requirements. Brecksville will update its signs—there are about 750, Weidig said—in three stages before 2015. This is the first stage. The city plans to rent a post driver for putting the signs in instead of buying one because the tools don’t hold up well without constant use, Weidig said.
• $110,250.85: One wheel loader for the Service Department. The current loader is about 10 years old and in need of replacement, Weidig said. The machine is used to pick up large amounts of material, like mulch or salt for roads. The agenda shows that the cost of the loader is actually closer to $142,000, but the city will get some credit for trading in the current vehicle.
• $34,744.30: Twenty-nine new portable radios and accessories for the . Each officer gets a portable radio, said Chief Richard E. Mannarino. The existing radios were purchased in the late 1990s, and they can no longer be repaired. The radios would be reprogrammed and put into auction, with the department keeping five as back-ups.