Council approves funding of traffic signal project
May 22—The Cleburne City Council authorized $90,000 toward downtown traffic signal upgrades during their May 14 meeting.
Specifically, council members approved a resolution authorizing and advance funding agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation for the addition of black powder coating to seven downtown signals.
The project is part of TxDOT's district wide signal upgrade project. City leaders in 2014 reached an agreement with TxDOT to have downtown signals painted black in a move toward enhancing downtown aesthetics. While TxDOT would otherwise replace the current downtown signals with new, but unadorned, signals, the enhancements, including perpetual maintenance, will be the city's responsibility, Cleburne Public Works Director Jeremy Hutt said.
The project should begin soon and complete within the year, Hutt said.
"In order to maintain the previous aesthetic standards established by the city, city staff members have been working with TxDOT to incorporate a decorative finish on the new traffic signals to be installed," Hutt said.
The black powder coating will be more durable and aesthetically pleasing than the black paint city workers applied to the signals in 2014, Hutt added.
"In order to have these improvements included into the TxDOT project, an advance funding agreement is needed to outline the terms and cost obligations," Hutt said.
Council members also transferred $90,000 from the city's general fund to cover the advance funding agreement.
Cleburne Mayor Scott Cain asked about plans to add backlit street signs to the signals in question. That is a separate project yet to be addressed, Hutt said.
Sprucing up
Council members also approved two facade grant applications during their meeting.
The city offers matching grants of up to $5,000 for facade or exterior building improvements. Such grants have gone a long way toward downtown's revitalization of recent years, city officials say.
The owner of Chisholm Trail Smokehouse received $5,000 toward parking lot, lighting and new signage upgrades to his soon-to-open barbecue restaurant. Total cost for the improvements is estimated at $21,436.
Our Place Restaurant owner Benji Arslanovski requested and received a facade grant for a mural on the east side of his building.
With those two awards, $40,000 remains available in the city's facade grant program for the current fiscal year.
