By Pat Maurer
Review Correspondent
The temporary traffic island installed to regulate vehicle traffic during the hours that students are crossing McEwan to go to, or come from the school was a discussion item during the recent Traffic & Safety Committee Meeting, that City Manager Jeremy Howard presented in his City Manager’s Report Monday.
In the TSC meeting minutes reported by Clare Police Chief David Saad, the chief said,
“The recently installed traffic island at Wheaton and McEwan Street was designed to improve traffic flow and enhance pedestrian safety. While schooltime traffic appears more controlled, outside these hours, the island has become a source of frustration and potential danger. The structure seems to hinder overall traffic flow, with drivers demonstrating unsafe behaviors to bypass it.”
Saad’s report continued, “While it has contributed to greater organization during school hours, with improved safety for students crossing the intersection, several concerns have emerged. Some drivers are avoiding the island entirely by cutting through nearby parking lots, creating additional hazards for pedestrians and businesses. Others are driving around the traffic island in the southbound lane to head north on McEwan from East Wheaton Street, posing significant risks of headon collisions. Additionally, the placement of delineators has reduced the visibility of the crossing guards, complicating their ability to ensure safe crossings during school hours.”
The report concluded, “Despite these challenges, it is unclear whether a better solution exists to address the intersection’s historical issues. Further assessment of driver behavior, safety concerns, and potential alternative designs will be necessary to determine the island’s long-term viability.”
Another traffic concern was brought up at the Traffic Safety Meeting, according to the meeting minutes, when Diane Sartor, a resident of Wilcox Parkway, raised concerns about the safety of pe-destrians and residents due to high-speed traffic on that street.
According to the TSC minutes, “The road is a popular route for dog walkers, children and senior citizens, especially those accessing Shamrock Park and local amenities. The absence of sidewalks, combined with winter conditions, has amplified these concerns.” Residents, specifically Sartor, suggested to the City Commission that “the installation of stop signs could mitigate speeding and improve safety.”
The Traffic and Safety Committee moved and approved the addition of two speed limit signs be placed on each side of Wilcox Drive to “remind drivers of the residential speed limit.”
In his report Howard said the TSC also recommended that, “The Clare Police Department contin-ue strict speed enforcement on Wilcox Parkway and use speed radar signs to help deter speeding.”
Other business at the City meeting Monday included the approval of a technology support agreement with VC3 (who merged the City’s long time technical support group IT Right of Bath a few years ago).
The cost of technical support, which has been increased on only one other time in the nearly 20-year relationship with the City, has grown due to the level of service needed.
Howard’s agenda report on the matter said, “VC3 provides 24/7/365 technology service support to the city which is a mission-critical requirement given the integration of technology in all facets of the city’s operations including police, fire, and the city’s day-to-day operations.”
He added, “Based upon our long-term relationship with IT Right and now VC3, they have agreed to raise the rates to a little over half of the going rate for full technology support today. They are also allowing us to phase in this increase over the 3 years of the contract. After the first three years, the contract will auto renew each year with a 4 percent or CPI increase unless either party decides to terminate the contract.”
The report continued, “The typical cost per user for managed IT services ranges from $100 to $250 per user per month. VC3 is offering us this service for $50 per month for each full user for the first year, which will increase to $80 per month for each full user by year three of the three-year contract. This is still significantly below their typical rate of $150 per month for each full user. The base cost of the technology support agreement is $3,022 per month for the first year, $3,342 per month for the second year, and $3,502 per month for the third year. This cost covers our users as well as the cost of server support, data management, backup services, and cyber security.”
He added, “I recommend that the City Commission approve the technology support agreement with VC3.” A motion was supported and approved.
Other business at the City Commission meeting included:
Notification that a let-water-run rule is still in effect.
A closed session was held to discuss labor negotiations strategy was held.
Rep. Tom Kunse spoke during Public Comment.
Howard reported that dredging at Shamrock Lake is paused, but design work by GEI Engineer-ing is continuing.
