Mansfield City Council considers traffic signal pre-emption system
Emergency vehicles could get through intersections quicker if Mansfield City Council approves a plan to purchase a traffic signal preemption system.
Council held to caucus on Tuesday night the purchase of a system from Path Master Inc.
According to the bill, the current system "is becoming archaic and increasingly inefficient compared to newer technologies."
The new system would provide for the activation of lights using GPS technology designed to allow for safe and efficient movement of emergency services through an intersection.
City Engineer Bob Bianchi explained it would be a line-of-sight system "whereby the intersection has to 'see' the emergency vehicle to engage in the preemption."
He added, "The intersection knows where the emergency vehicle is at the point they turn on the sirens. Our hope is that it will improve the response time."
Bianchi said the technology has improved response times by up to 11 seconds in other communities.
The engineer said 62 of the city's intersections have the older system. The cost of the new equipment would not exceed $509,400, with $350,000 coming from American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Path Master Inc. is the primary distributor of such equipment in Ohio.
Council's next meeting is June 6.
Council allocates money for installation of park equipment
Also held to caucus was a bill for the initial phase of the forthcoming Community Park for All. Located at Sterkel Park on 20 acres off Hillcrest Street, it will serve adults and children of all ages and abilities throughout north central Ohio.
The city would allocate $400,000 to pay for site grading, restrooms and utilities, along with other costs. Council would kick in $200,000 from ARPA funds, with the other $200,000 coming from the parks and recreation department.
Once completed, the new park will be the largest of its kind in Ohio to feature the number of pieces of play equipment that are accessible to everyone of all abilities, organizers previously said.
Bianchi said Richland Newhope already paid for $750,000 in equipment. The first phase of the project will involve installing it, including three pickleball courts, a pavilion, an outdoor gym and fencing.
Bianchi said he would like to see the installation done late this summer or in early fall. It's all part of a $5.4 million project that is still in the fundraising phase.
Retiring operations supervisor at Clear Fork Reservoir recognized
Council also honored Gary Foster upon his retirement as operations supervisor at Clear Fork Reservoir, effective March 1.
Foster joined the Mansfield Police Department in 1991 and stayed there until his appointment to Clear Fork Reservoir in June 2009.
In addition to being a patrol officer, Foster was a member of the SWAT and ASORT teams. He was known for his physical fitness, evidenced by his perfect score on the SWAT fitness test.
Foster received numerous special commendation awards and letters of recognition in his career. During his tenure at Clear Fork, he completed watercraft officer training.
In other business, council:
Accepted and appropriated a $20,000 donation from the Richland Community Development Group for the purchase of a canine.
Authorized the purchase of four 2023 Dodge Durango pursuit AWD vehicles for the police department at a cost not to exceed $256,042.24. The city has more than $186,000 available in the safety services fund and at least $69,000 remaining for police cruisers in ARPA money to complete the purchase.
mcaudill@gannett.com
419-521-7219
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mansfield City Council talks about technology for traffic signals
