New information ups cost for emergency pre-emption device installation, council split on decision
By Kellen Olshefski
Editor
Just a few months after approving $12,000 to upgrade traffic signals at the Highway 67 and Interstate 43 interchange to include emergency pre-emption devices the City of Elkhorn Common Council voted against a motion to approve moving forward with the project in a 3-4 vote Monday after learning it could cost more than $18,000.
The nearly doubled cost came as new information to the Council and was a pill that was a little tough to swallow for some councilmen.
Aldermen Scott McClory, Michael Kluck and Tom Myrin all voted in favor of a motion made by McClory to approve the installation of the devices at Monday’s meeting. Aldermen Jim D’Alessandro, Hoss Rehberg and Gregory Huss voted in opposition. Mayor Brian Olson cast the deciding vote, killing the motion to spend the additional monies on the project.
While the project was originally estimated at about $7,000 plus an additional $5,000 to transmitters in some of the city’s emergency vehicles, City Administrator Sam Tapson said Monday he received a call last week informing him the original estimate for equipment was correct, though installation costs were never discussed. Tapson said now, the total cost of the project would be around $18,000 to $20,000 with installation costs.
Mayor Brian Olson asked both Elkhorn Police Chief Joel Christensen and alderman McClory, who serves as a captain with the Walworth County Sheriff’s Department, to weigh in on any safety concerns they have.
Christensen said his biggest concern is the exit ramp from the northbound lanes of Interstate 43 leading up to the Highway 67 with the view of the overpass not being ideal.
While he said it would only affect the Elkhorn Police Department to Jackson Creek and the Elkhorn Industrial Park, limited advantage to the city, Christensen said for other agencies, such as the sheriff’s department, it’s a busy route heading to the south.
“So, I’m just looking at traffic safety, not just from the police department’s standpoint, but from other emergency services that use that, as well as ambulance service,” he said.
According to McClory, while Walworth County Sheriff’s squad cars currently do not have transmitters, both Delavan and Lake Geneva vehicles do.
“But that doesn’t mean at some point in the future that other vehicles couldn’t be equipped with the same transmitters,” he said. “There could be an expansion if it’s shown that it’s a successful tool.”
Following a question from D’Alessandro, McClory again said even with the emergency pre-emption devices emergency vehicles have to drive cautiously, prudently and with due regard. However, he said not having them can be a greater risk.
“You’ve watched T.V., but you’ve also heard of the horror stories where an officer was going through, had the right-of-way, had the green light, and still ended up unfortunately killing somebody with their squad car because they don’t have this particular device to tell them that your green light is turning to red, you need to stop because an officer is coming through,” he said.
Christensen agreed and said that while it’s not a total solution, it does enhance traffic safety at the light.
